Only Human
by ShutUpAndPaddle
Summary: General story following Horatio's and Zoe's journey through to the birth of their twin girls. Horatio being on leave has put strain on Eric while he acts head of the crime lab, but can he also cope with meeting his son he didn't know he had? Will he need Horatio back to help with the case? H & Z find themselves in potential danger with the return of an escaped convict.
1. Chapter 1

**Only Human**

**Chapter 1**

"Horatio, can you remind me to get some breast pads by boobs are leaking." Zoë called from the downstairs bathroom while she went to the loo with the door open.

"I've written it down." Horatio called from the kitchen while he made them both a hot drink. Once he stopped stirring he strolled over to the bathroom and stood at the door frame while she began to wash her hands as the toilet flushed. "You do know what the definition of a door is, don't you?" Horatio asked with his boyish tone and Zoë began to giggle as she dried her hands on the hand towel.

"Of course, but why use it when it's just us in the house? If I close the door I can't have conversations with you when I'm on the loo where I seem to spend a lot of time." She smiled sweetly as she walked over to the door as he stepped back to allow her to pass while he lightly chuckled.

"As long as you doing get into a bad habit of it and leave it open when we have guests. I do not want to see poor Eric's face if he innocently walks by if he's over for a coffee to see you on the loo. You might not mind, but I'm sure he will." Horatio smiled at her as he followed her through to the kitchen with a wide grin.

"Thank you for the tea, Kitten." She grinned at him as she picked her mug up and turned back to him. He smiled back at her and then picked up his mug too. "Val said that we should sign up to those baby classes soon, you know like how to deal with twins, dealing with the birth, baby first aid that sort of stuff. I was wondering if you're interested? I'm going to go to all of them, it's up to you whether you want to join me." Zoë said warmly as she smiled at him warmly.

"That would be good, but don't go overboard and book 20 sessions of the same classes because you know Val will show us everything we need to know when they're born." Horatio said warmly and Zoë giggled a little before she nodded. "Also don't forget that Alexx will probably move herself in. She won't stop talking about baby things at work." Horatio smiled boyishly as he glanced down to his steaming coffee and Zoë giggled again.

"That's true." Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Will you be getting changed today or are you planning on lounging around in your sleepwear? Not that I have any complaints of course."Horatio asked with a grin.

"I'm 22 weeks pregnant, I think I'm going to lounge around in my sleepwear because I don't have to get changed… or, I could just undress?" She questioned with a mischievous grin which caused Horatio to grin and chuckle boyishly. "Also, we've just eaten breakfast, give me a break. I'm in slow sloth mode at the moment still, 9AM is early for me now since I don't have a job." She grinned softly and Horatio nodded.

"Okay sweetheart, I was just checking. Don't forget that we had planned on going shopping at about 10AM as well, but if you're not feeling up to it then we can leave it for another day." Horatio said warmly as he sipped his coffee.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about shopping. Well, there is something I'd rather do than shopping…" She grinned and he could see the devilish look in her eyes again.

"Hmm… by the looks of it I don't really have a choice." He grinned at her before he took a sip of his coffee.

"Of course you've got a choice, but I can see that look in your eyes too. I know exactly what you're thinking Mr Caine." She grinned at him as she raised her free hand and walked two of her fingers up the middle of his chest. He grinned at her boyishly and pressed his lips together to try and tone down his grin but he knew he had that glint in his eyes too.

"So… shower and then shopping?" Horatio asked and she nodded before she downed her tea and then took his hand and walked upstairs with him.

XXXXXXXX

They got home and Zoë immediately changed into a pair of Horatio's jogging bottoms and one of her stretchy t-shirts after another quick shower by herself this time. She strolled downstairs as Horatio was preparing their lunch.

"Can I do anything, Kitten?" She asked warmly as she wrapped her arms around his waist as she stood behind him. He smiled when he felt her bump against his lower back and carried on with what he was doing. His smile grew when he felt a baby move against his back which created a warm feeling to explode through his body.

"No thank you beautiful, but you could get us a glass of water, please?" He asked softly and she nodded against his back and then let go of him.

"Would you rather a coffee?" She asked softly and he looked over to her and thought about it for a moment.

"Please, that would be good." He said softly and she nodded with a smile and made him a coffee. She sat at the island counter just as he placed their plates on the counter. She pushed his coffee over to him as he sat down.

"Thank you Kitten" she smiled as he handed her some cutlery.

"Thank you beautiful." He smiled back as he pulled his coffee closer. Once they had finished, Zoë went for a slow walk on the treadmill as it was too hot for her to go out walking mid-afternoon while Horatio did a few of his own things. Horatio then went up with a glass of water for her and walked through to the bedroom with her once she was finished walking.

"You're not feeling too tired are you? You kept the setting on 2, didn't you?" Horatio asked and she nodded with a light giggle as she gently took the glass from him and had a few sips.

"I kept it on 2, don't worry. I'm good, I still need a little bit of exercise, Horatio. Stop your worrying." She smiled sweetly as she changed again into shorts and a strappy top as she was warm. She began to tie her hair band up but she accidentally dropped it beside Horatio's bedside table. She slowly crouched down to pick up it up when she saw a something under his bedside table that caught her eye. She frowned and reached under to grab it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Are you okay sweetheart?" Horatio asked as he began to walk over to her when she didn't stand back up straight away.

"Yeah" she said softly as she reached over and pulled the book closer to her with a mild frown. '_Why's he hiding a book for?'_ Zoë thought to herself as she leant back and then very slowly stood up with the hairband and book in her hands. She read the cover and then looked over to Horatio as she tilted her head. He stepped back and looked down shyly as he took a deep breath. As he was looking down, he didn't see the smile appearing across her face as she looked back up to him from the book.

"You've been reading this baby book?" She asked with a genuine smile and he nodded shyly as he glanced up at her. He didn't even give himself time to look at her smile before he looked back down to the floor. '_Is he embarrassed by this?'_ Zoë questioned herself as she tilted her head and tried to work him out.

"I have this book downstairs handsome… you could have borrowed that one if you wanted." She said as she walked over to him with a smile and placed the book on the edge of the bed. She stood in front of him and looked up at him while he looked at her belly and pressed his lips together as he shrugged. It became clear to Zoë that he was actually embarrassed by it. '_Aww bless him. He's so cute.'_ Zoë thought to herself as she raised her right hand and placed her fingers under his chin just as he does all the time with her. She lightly lifted his chin and allowed her eyes to make contact with hers while he swallowed.

"There's nothing to be shy or embarrassed about Kitten, this is so cute and I'm really happy that you're actually reading something. Not all fathers do that, I'm really proud of you. Thank you, Horatio." She said softly as she removed her hand from his chin and fiddled lightly with his fringe as she gazed into his eyes with a dreamy smile pulling her lips to her ears.

"I saw that you liked the book and were getting a lot of information, I wanted to read it too, but I wasn't sure if you'd laugh if I read your book as it's for women." Horatio said shyly and quietly. She furrowed her brow as she looked from his right eye to his left repeatedly while she placed her palm against his cheek.

"Of course I wouldn't laugh; these books are for the Daddies as well as the Mummies. I'm happy to know that you're taking such an interest in everything. You shouldn't be embarrassed about that at all. I was going to suggest that you start reading something to try and get you ready, but it looks like you already have that covered." She smiled as she moved her right hand and placed it round the back of his neck as she put her left arm up and around him and pulled him closer. She pressed her stomach against his and smiled brightly at him.

"It's actually made me really hot for you... again." She smiled up at him and then watched the smile appear across his face. He tried to suppress his boyish smile while he wrapped his arms around her and began to feel a lot better in himself.

"I've got lots more books that you can read if you like, they aren't designed just for us Mummies. I can't believe you thought I'd laugh at you, I laugh at a lot of things, but that is heart-warming and really supportive." She smiled softly as she looked up at him as he moved his hands from her sides to her back where his hands snaked down into the back of the jogging bottoms which caused her to grin more.

"How else do you think I've been getting the knowledge that I have?" Horatio asked with a small smile as he concentrated on the feeling of her stomach pressing against his.

"Well, you're incredibly intelligent, I just assumed it was something that you already knew, like all of that knowledge you have of history, art and other stuff that you seem to pluck out of thin air." She said softly and Horatio smiled at her a little wider with a gentle chuckle. He then moved his nose and pressed it against hers with a smile.

"Do you still fine me attractive?" She asked out of the blue. Horatio stopped nuzzling her nose with his and frowned as he pulled his head back slightly to look into her eyes properly.

"Of course, you know I do, Zoe. I somehow find you more attractive, I didn't think that was possible. But you're carrying my daughters, they're in your tummy right now, to me it's a magical feeling and it turns me on more." He said softly as he gave her a reassuring smile as he looked warmly into both of her coffee coloured eyes but he could see that she looked a little confused.

"How come you've not got an erection though? I just said that I'm hot for you, you're usually begging to be taken out of your trousers by know." She said softly as she tilted her head. She then pressed her lips into a hard line as she began to mildly frown at him while she watched a cheeky boyish grin pull at his lips.

"I am… stand back, your tummy's in the way." He said softly as he released her and she moved back and then saw his tight trousers when she looked down. Her frown was immediately wiped from her face and replaced with a mischievous, devilish grin. His boyish smile only grew when he studied her grin as he placed his hands on the sides of her belly. "You didn't feel it because your tummy was in the way and I'm tucked away in my boxers right now." He said softly and she bit her lip before she began to lightly giggle as she reached up and placed both of her hands on his shoulders with the luminous seductive flame in her eyes that he loved to see.

"I think I should do something about that then." She grinned as she winked at him and he chuckled with a boyish smile and removed his hands from her belly to begin to undo his shirt buttons as quickly as he could.

XXXXXXXX

"What would you like Tyler to call you?" Calleigh asked Eric over the phone.

"Erm, I don't know, what do you think he should call me?" Eric questioned while he stood in the break room at work.

"We call you Eric at the moment, but he knows you're his Dad, so it's really up to you. Are you ready for him to call you Dad?" Calleigh asked softly. Eric sighed as he made himself a coffee at work, trying to make the decision. "Do you want my honest opinion?" Calleigh asked when she heard his indecisive sigh.

"Please." Eric said as he stirred his coffee and watched the coffee spin in the cup.

"I don't think you're ready for him to call you Dad, I think you need to meet him first and I think you need to spend some time with him and build up a bond, if that's still what you'd like to do in the future." Calleigh said softly.

"I think you're right Calleigh, I think I'm still in a slight state of shock too, I can't get my head around the fact that I have a son." He said honestly as he raised his hand to his head after stirring his drink and ran his hand over his head.

"I understand Eric, I will give you some time, in the mean-time, perhaps it may help you if I sent you some pictures or my ultrasound scans?" She asked softly.

"That could work, it's worth a try, I guess." Eric said softly as he glanced around to make sure no-one was going to enter.

"Okay, I'll send some things down and when you're comfortable and only when you're comfortable you can meet him, it's a daunting thing for men find out you're going to have a child when your partner is pregnant, let alone have someone tell you that you have a year and a half son." She said softly.

"Thank you for being so understanding, Calleigh." He said softly as he smiled warmly down at his coffee.

"Anyway, Tyler is now drawing on the walls, so I should go." She said softly and Eric couldn't help but smile a little more with a very light chuckle.

"Okay, take care." Eric said softly and Calleigh heard the amusement and knew he had a smile on his face through his voice.

"You too, bye Eric." She said softly before they hung up.

XXXXXXXX

Friday morning arrived and both Zoë and Horatio woke just as the alarm sounded. Zoë groaned as Horatio quickly pressed the stop button. She exhaled tiredly and blinked a few times before she placed both of her hands on her belly.

"Can we get rid of the alarm, the babies don't like it." She smiled tiredly as she looked over to him and he chuckled lightly. He then leant over and placed a light, loving kiss on her lips.

"Morning Daddy" she smiled once he'd pulled back a few inches to look into her eyes.

"Morning Mummy" he replied and she smiled with a giggle and then kissed him again as he placed his hand over her belly while he continued to look down into her beautifully bright eyes.

"I think they're kicking each other again." She said quietly as she looked into his sapphire coloured eyes and he nodded. '_They make me melt each time I look into them.'_ Zoë thought to herself as her smile began to grow more dreamy while she also concentrated on his delicate hand over her belly.

"I think so too." He replied quietly with his charming smile when he felt quite a big movement.

"What if one of them kicks the other baby too hard which causes that baby to come out early?" She asked smoothly as she looked at him, looking genuinely worried. Horatio began to laugh loudly as he rolled back onto his back and closed his eyes. '_Did she genuinely just say that?'_ He thought to himself as he turned his head and looked over to her with a radiant, amused smile. Her smile widened as she watched and heard him laugh more. '_It's too early for that…'_ Horatio thought to himself which is how he knew he found it so funny.

"You do come out with some classic things, Zoë." He said as he stopped laughing and smiled widely at her as he rolled back onto his side and placed his hand back on her belly. She furrowed her eyebrows innocently as she looked back into his eyes.

"I thought it was a simple question." She said smoothly as she raised a hand and pushed her fingers through his floppy hair.

"I can assure you that neither baby can come out if one baby kicks the other hard…" He said still amused by it all. '_Her brain really doesn't engage so early in the morning. One thing I hope they don't get from Zoë is her common sense… please, I hope they have my common sense. Was she joking? I never know when she's serious with questions like these.'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"Oh, okay. I guess that gives me some piece of mind." She said softly and he laughed again when he realised she was genuinely being serious with the question. He calmed himself and looked brightly into her eyes as he brought his lips closer to hers again. He gave her one kiss before pulling back again to admire her eyes. "Does the second baby help push the first baby out?" She asked softly as she raised her eyebrows again.

"No sweetheart." He said with a chuckle as his smile only widened more. "You're on top form with your questions this morning." He smiled and she smiled back with a light giggle. She found it amusing as he seemed so entertained by it all.

"I'm curious" she said softly before she bit her lip and he smiled with a light nod.

"It's good to be curious, but surely common sense would whittle out some of the questions you have? Val has even been through the birth briefly with us." Horatio said softly with a smile while he gently rubbed her stomach.

"Common sense? What's that?" She asked with a smile and he chuckled again as he looked down to her beautiful smile.

"I guess you're right." He smiled cheekily.

"Oi, you're not supposed to agree with me!" She said with a giggle as she playfully swatted his forearm.

"You said it." He smiled as he lowered his head an nuzzled her nose very briefly before she pouted at him.

"It's too early for any common sense. I do have it, but it hides somewhere." She grinned at him brightly. He chuckled a little and nodded at her, but she could see that he didn't believe her which only made her giggle a little more. "I've got to get up and go to the loo." She sighed when she suddenly got the urge to go. Horatio pulled back and laid down on his side to allow her to get up freely.

"Slowly" Horatio said softly and she nodded as she slowly sat up. He sat up with her and gave her a quick back massage before she got up and walked into the en-suite.

"Are we still going shopping today?" She asked as she walked back into the bedroom and then sat on the edge of the bed. She placed her hand on his chest as he'd laid back down.

"If you're feeling up to it sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she allowed her fingers to move through his chest hair.

"Definitely feeling up to it, I'm already so excited! Can we go to the big furniture store first please? Can we get some things like a wardrobe, chest of draws and stuff for the new room?" She asked softly and he nodded as he reached over and placed his hand on her thigh with a gentle smile.

"What room would you like to use?" Horatio asked softly.

"I'm going to be a right pain, but I'd like to use the room where the gym is situated if that's okay? It's because it's the closest room to ours." She said softly and he nodded with a smile. '_I knew that was coming anyway.'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"That's fine sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she smiled as she planted her hand flat against his chest and felt the light beat of his heart.

"We'll also get the paint today." She said softly.

"Pink?" He asked warmly as he lovingly rubbed her thigh.

"Pink and white I'm thinking?" she asked softly and Horatio nodded. "I can't wait to have a pink room!" She squealed as she sat up straight and beamed brightly.

"I'm surprised the house isn't painted pink if I'm honest." Horatio said softly and she giggled as she leant back over to him and looked down into his eyes with a cheeky grin.

"That's a good idea…" She said before she lightly nuzzled his nose.

"No, we are not having a pink house." Horatio said when he saw her excitement. She lightly giggled as she sat back up and ran a hand through his floppy hair.

"Fine" she sighed but with a smile still pulling her lips from ear to ear. She then leant down again and placed and affectionate kiss on his lips before she sat back up again. "I'm going for a bath, I won't be too long." She said softly and he nodded as she slowly stood back up. He sat up and smiled warmly.

"Give me a shout if you need anything." He said softly and she nodded as she walked over to the chest of draws and pulled out a chocolate bar. "Why is there a chocolate bar in your draw?" Horatio asked with an amused smile as he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.

"I've left snacks around the house so if I get hungry I don't have to go to the kitchen. Admittedly, most of them are healthy cereal bars, not chocolate bars." She smiled and Horatio chuckled lightly as he looked down to the carpet before he looked back up at her.

"That's a good idea actually." He said softly and she nodded as she picked up a towel and then walked out while she continued to eat the bar. He smiled to himself and then got up and had his shower. She walked back in with the towel wrapped around her. He pulled his boxers up and smiled at her. He looked to her belly under the towel and felt the butterflies in his stomach again. '_We're more than half way through the pregnancy.'_ He thought to himself with a charming smile as he pulled up his trousers.

"Do you want to get the small things like baby clothes today as well?" Horatio asked softly and she turned to him as she picked up a pot of moisturiser and sat on the edge of the bed to moisturise her legs and arms.

"Yeah, I'd like to, but whether I feel up to it after getting the big stuff first is a different question." She said softly and Horatio nodded as she looked back over to him and saw him with his trousers on. "Can you wear your jeans please? You look mighty sexy in them and they're probably easier to be walking around in. It's ultimately your choice, but I like it when you wear them." She asked warmly and he looked up to her and then nodded with a gentle smile as he pulled the trousers back down. '_She just wants to see more of my bum.'_ He thought to himself with a light chuckle as he pulled out the jeans from the draw and pulled them up. She watched him with a smile as she bit her lip. He then took his shirt back off and pulled on a plain, high-quality branded t-shirt. He looked back up at her and could see the seductive fire in her eyes. "You look incredibly sexy and casual right now." She said with a smile as she looked back around and continued to moisturise before she pulled on her underwear and then moisturised the rest of her body. He looked down to the floor with a smile as she stood and turned to him with a smile as her eyes really studied him in his casual attire.

"You must tell me when you've had enough, it doesn't matter if we don't get round to get everything, okay? Don't worry if we don't." Horatio said softly as he looked back up to her and she nodded with a gentle expression as she pushed her desires away.

"I suspect that Joe has already brought them a wardrobe full of clothes anyway, but he won't give them to us until I tell him that we've started shopping." She said softly and Horatio chuckled lightly as he nodded and placed his hands on his hips.

"I get that feeling too." He smiled as she sorted her bra out.

"Don't forget Kaitlin, she's probably already got them high heels for their 18th birthday…" Zoë smiled and Horatio chuckled as he looked back up at Zoë.

"They won't be going out until they're 30 and even then they'll have an escort." Horatio said softly and she giggled as she picked up another pot of moisturiser and moisturised her face.

"I thought as much." She smiled as she looked over to them. "You can't be too protective over them though, they will have to fly the nest at some point." Zoë smiled sweetly.

"Maybe when they're 30." Horatio said softly and she giggled again.

"I can see that happening as well… anyway, they're not even 3 months yet, let alone 30. I don't want to think about them leaving." She said warmly as she looked to his belt as he did it up.

"What are you wearing?" Horatio asked softly as he looked to the wardrobe.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm already boiling, so I don't think I'm going to go for leggings or jeans, is there any loose summery dresses?" She asked as she sat on the bed and began to massage one of her legs as she could feel a cramp developing. He walked into the wardrobe and checked around before poking his head back around the door.

"You've got a few in here, what would you like?" he asked softly.

"Can you show me, please?" She said as she turned and looked round as she gently massaged her legs. He came back and presented a selection on their hangers as he looked back to her. '_I've never seen her in a casual dress.'_ He thought to himself.

"Not the flowery ones." She said and he put them away before walking back out to still hold another 5 dresses up for her. She then then looked back round to him and lightly bit her lip.

"No actually, I liked that black with pinky-red flowers with the low neck dress." She said as she looked back to him and he sighed and then walked back in to pull it back out and stood by the bed.

"No I don't actually…" She said as she looked at it. Horatio sighed with a gentle smile as he looked to her, awaiting for her to choose as she bit her lip. "I like the navy blue one with white polka dots, what do you think?" She asked with a smile and he looked to the dress she was referring to.

"I've not seen you in it, so I don't know." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I'll try it on then, it should go over my belly." She said softly and he nodded and then handed it to her. She stood up and then turned to him once she had it on.

"I like it, it suits you." He said softly and she turned to the mirror to look at herself while she bit her lip. She then ran her hand over her belly as a smile appeared on her face.

"That is quite cute actually… I like it, especially with the baby bump." She smiled as she looked back to him and he nodded as he sat down on the bed while she quickly straightened her hair and applied a small amount of make-up. He then got up and walked over to her with a smile as his eyes drank her in.

"Come on, we're hungry." She smiled up at him and he nodded with a smile as he placed the other bag on the side and placed his hands on her belly before they turned and walked downstairs and had breakfast.

"Put some water and snacks in your handbag sweetheart." Horatio reminded her and she nodded.

"I don't want to put too many in there though, we can get some food in town." She said softly and he nodded with a gentle smile.

"But make sure you've got something." He said softly and she nodded. "Are you sure you want to go today, sweetheart?" Horatio asked softly and she nodded but he could see her hesitance while she put a few things in her bag. "Talk to me, beautiful." He said softly as he moved forwards and placed a hand on her belly whilst he placed his other on her lower back.

"We're not getting this stuff too early, are we? We're not going to jinx it or something, are we?" Zoë asked quietly as she looked over to him.

"No, we're not getting it too early sweetheart, I think we're pushing the limits of getting things too late if I'm honest. We won't be jinxing anything. When did you become so superstitious?" Horatio asked softly as she turned fully to him and lightly bit her lip as she furrowed her brow.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded while he moved both of his hands to the sides of her belly.

"I promise." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she exhaled steadily.

"I'm only superstitious when it comes to things like this… I'm terrified of something happening to them… I'm even more scared of something happening to them and it being my fault because I've said something that's jinxed it. I mean, I'm not exactly the luckiest person alive." She said quietly as she looked down to his chest.

"I promise you sweetheart, nothing is going to happen to them and nothing is your fault." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she exhaled again and looked up at him. "We can leave it another week, sweetheart, but you may start to get quite uncomfortable." Horatio said softly.

"No, I want to do this now, please, it's going to take a few trips to town anyway to get everything." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile as he lightly rubbed her belly.

"Okay, we're going to take it slowly though, we're not going to rush around." Horatio said softly and she nodded. "Okay sweetheart, have a glass of orange juice and we'll be off." He said softly and she nodded and poured herself a small glass of orange juice and then walked out with him. They arrived at the furniture superstore and walked in hand in hand. Horatio could tell that Zoë was extremely excited which caused him to feel quite excited too. '_I'm getting excited over some furniture? I thought I'd never see the day. Then again, I do think it's purely because she's so excited.'_ Horatio thought to himself.

XXXXXXXX

They were in another superstore surrounded by shelves of paint. '_Just how many shades of the same colour can they have?'_ Horatio thought to himself as he looked at all the different colours of pink. '_There's got to be about 50 different colours, surely?'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"What shade of pink to you prefer?" She asked Horatio softly as she looked back to him and took hold of his hand.

"Well, I don't like that hot pink you have your eye on, I'm going to put that out there." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a light giggle.

"Fair enough, it is a bit intense for babies." She said softly. He moved forwards and picked up baby pink.

"This one?" Horatio asked softly as he turned back to Zoë with an inquisitive expression. '_We could be here all day if we don't agree on a colour.'_ Horatio thought to himself but he saw Zoë's smile widen.

"Yeah, I like that." She smiled and he nodded.

"Anything else you want to get while we're in here?" He asked softly and she nodded.

"Curtains, lamp and lightshade." She said softly and he nodded and then walked off hand in hand to collect the rest of the items.

"Oh my gosh, that lamp shade is way too cute! It's got Winnie the Pooh on it!" She grinned and Horatio smiled as he picked it up and studied the pink shade with the characters looking like they were dancing around. "Can we get one of those banner things that goes around the middle of the wall?" She asked and he nodded.

"Winnie the Pooh orientated?" He asked and she nodded enthusiastically. '_She's probably more excited about it than the girls will be.'_ Horatio thought to himself with a secret smile. '_I guess though, this is exciting for her as she probably never got things like that until she lived with David.'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"I hope they're Winnie the Pooh mad… I still love it." She smiled and he chuckled lightly, he didn't doubt that, he knew she still loved it. "You've seen my Winnie the Pooh teddy in the closet, haven't you?" She asked and he nodded with his secret smile still shining.

"And that Winnie the Pooh blanket…" Horatio said softly as he raised his eyebrows and she giggled while she lightly bit her lip and hugged his arm.

"That was a present for my 10th birthday… it's nearly 20 years old!" She smiled and his eyebrows rose."Did you like anything like that as a child?" Zoë asked softly as she looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Erm, I guess I used to like that old style Micky Mouse, I never had anything I was attached to though. I had a plain teddy bear… don't forget that I'm older than you and things like Winnie the Pooh weren't broadly known or even invented properly then. The characters that were around were very simple, just how I liked things like that." Horatio replied and Zoë nodded.

"Do you still have anything like that?" Zoë asked and he shook his head at her as he looked down.

"Really? You don't have anything like that?" she asked as they stopped and he shook his head again.

"I wanted to leave every part of my childhood when I grew up, including the little materialistic possessions I had." Horatio replied quietly.

"Oh handsome, I'm sorry, I hope I've not upset you?" Zoë asked and he shook his head.

"Of course you haven't sweetheart, don't worry," Horatio replied brightly as he smiled warmly at her and they began to walk again.

"I've never asked you outright Horatio… but what was your childhood like? You know a lot about mine and I've put 2 and 2 together with what you've given me, but I'm still in the dark. That's not a problem at all, don't feel like you need to tell me because you don't. I don't want to make you uncomfortable and upset you, I know things like this are very sensitive. I didn't want to ask you really… I didn't want to believe that you went through anything similar to me… it would break my heart to know that you were subjected to the same because you didn't deserve any of that." Zoë asked quietly and sounded unsure.

"You didn't deserve it either, Zoë. But yes, I was subject to–" Horatio began but heard something that stopped him.

"Zoë? Horatio?" A man called from behind them.

"Well talk later." Horatio whispered and Zoë nodded as they turned and saw Joe walking over to them.

"Hey" she asked with a smile and then saw him with a couple of pots of paint.

"How are you doing?" He asked as he walked over to them with a bright smile.

"We're really good thank you, just doing the first lot of shopping now." She smiled softly as she glanced up to Horatio who gave Joe a gentle smile and nod.

"I could have picked what you needed up, you should be resting." He said softly and she smiled.

"We wanted to see what they had to offer, it's for the girls room as you can see…" she said as she looked at the basket in Horatio's hand.

"I can see that now." He smiled softly as he looked back up at them.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have work to do?" She asked softly.

"No, I have the morning off as my meetings were cancelled so I decided I'd pick up the paint for the kitchen and study today." He said softly and Zoë nodded and looked down to the pots of pain in his hands.

"Ah, I like the colours you're going for, they're quite mellow, much like you." She said softly and he smiled.

"I like yours too." He replied softly with a smile and she giggled as she looked to the pink pot of paint in Horatio's hand.

"I know." She grinned as she looked back to him. "Anyway, we should be off, I'm getting hungry again." She said softly and he nodded with a smile. "We'll see you soon sweetie." She said softly as she quickly hugged him and then kissed his cheek.

"See you both very soon and have a lovely day. Horatio, if you need a hand with decorating, I'm more than happy to help out over weekends." He said softly with a gentle smile.

"Thank you Joe, I'll keep that in mind." He said softly and then shook Joe's hand once he'd put the paint under his other arm. They then went to pay while Joe walked off to pick up some brushes.

"I can't help with painting, can I?" Zoë asked as Horatio put the basket on the desk and he shook his head.

"Eric has already offered to help though, as well as Joe, so you won't need to help us." He said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile and then put the items in bags. Once finished and paid they went over to a small café in town to relax and have something to eat.

"Horatio, I'm really horny again." She said quietly as he sat back down opposite her as he placed their drinks on the table. She sat forwards with the devilish look in her eyes as she bit her lip. She reached over and placed her hand over his on the table.

"We're in public sweetheart, unfortunately there isn't anything we can do about that." Horatio said softly and she sighed as she nodded before she looked down to the table cloth and felt his skin beneath her fingers while she lightly ran her fingertips over the back of his hand.

"I know." She sighed again as she looked back up at him, but he could see the devilish look in her eyes multiply. "Can't we have a quicky in the car, please? No-one can see anything, the windows are blacked out in the back…" She asked softly and he chuckled quietly. '_Please say yes Horatio! Is that chuckle him saying yes? Would he actually make love to me in the car? I hope so…'_ She thought to herself as she bit her lip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"No sweetheart, for many reasons." He said softly as he flipped his hand over on the table and took a light hold of her hand while he tilted his head.

"Why?" She asked as she rubbed her leg against his under the table and furrowed her brow.

"Because you're 22 weeks pregnant, 23 tomorrow and the car isn't exactly the most comfortable place for a pregnant woman to be having sex in, nor is it private, anyone could walk past the car. It may have blacked out windows, but it's not sound proof…" He said softly and she nodded with a slight giggle as she sipped her herbal tea.

"I know… I can't believe I'm 23 weeks tomorrow. It's been 23 weeks since we conceived that Saturday night, more than half way through the pregnancy - life is amazing." She smiled softly.

"It certainly is sweetheart." He smiled as he took her hand with his other too and smiled at her with his charming smile.

"I still can't believe we're going to be parents, it seems so surreal. I never thought I'd become a mother, I always wished to have children at some point with the right man, but I never thought I'd ever be able to settle down and have children and feel so at ease with someone. I thought that with all that's gone on, life had a grudge against me. I didn't think life would allow me to find such an incredible husband, or allow me to have two baby girls on the way with that incredible husband." She said softly as she bit her lip at him.

"I feel the exact same sweetheart, I never thought I'd find someone like you, I never thought I'd be having children. But our girls are in there right now, probably listening to us." He smiled softly and she nodded as she looked down to her belly for a few seconds before she looked back up at Horatio and into his bright eyes.

"That's true." She smiled sweetly and he nodded with his secret smile. "I can't believe we're having twin girls, how amazing is that?!" She asked excitedly with a smile as she felt a burst of energy surge through her.

"Pretty amazing, I hope they have your beauty and your personality though." He said softly.

"I want them to have your eyes, your temperament, your patience, your good-will… your everything really." She smiled softly.

"I'll agree with the patience." He smiled softly and she chuckled as the waiter brought over their Panini's. They thanked him and he walked away as they looked back to each other and then released each other's hands. "So, have you got two names in your mind already?" Horatio asked softly and she shook her head.

"Have you?" She asked softly and he shook his head.

"Perhaps we should wait a few weeks before we start thinking about names seriously?" She asked softly and he nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Horatio smiled softly and she nodded as she finished her Panini a couple of minute later.

"Would you like another? You ate that incredibly fast." Horatio said softly as he looked down to his half-eaten Panini.

"No thank you handsome, I'm good for now." She smiled sweetly and he nodded. She finished her orange juice as he finished his Panini. "I'm going to go to the loo before we leave, I'll be right back." She said softly and Horatio nodded. She quickly came back and then linked arms with him as they walked out.

"Shall we get the car and park it further into town?" She asked softly and Horatio nodded as they walked towards the car again.

"What would you like to get today?" Horatio asked softly.

"As much as we can ideally." She replied and Horatio nodded.

"I suggest we leave things like nappies and baby wipes as we can get them at the supermarket." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"Yeah, that's a really good idea." She said as they pulled off. Once parked up Horatio put the back seats down to create more space and moved the boxes they already had around.

"Where too first?" Horatio asked softly as he took hold of Zoë's hand and began to walk down the street.

"The Mothercare superstore?" She asked and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile. "I'd like to get them Moses baskets, as well as a travel cot, we'll only need one of those, just in case something happens and Alexx or Joe has to look after them briefly. They also do great changing stations in there as well." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Do you want two changing stations?" Horatio asked softly.

"I shouldn't think we'll need two. I doubt we'll even use that one much anyway." She said softly and Horatio nodded. "They also do a lot of stuff for the safety of babies, like bed guards and baby monitors that monitor movement as well as sound. I'd like to get them now, I know I won't be able to leave them for the first few months, but I'd like it there in case." She said softly as they walked into the shop, hand in hand until Horatio picked up a trolley.

"Have you been looking online by any chance?" He asked and she nodded.

"I couldn't help myself, they had a really good bottle steriliser in here too, we might need two of them… can't have enough clean bottles!" She smiled softly as she walked by his side. "Their clothes in here are also brilliant quality, so the majority of their clothes will come from in here, as well as their bed sheets, blankets and all of that. Awww look at those bibs!" Zoë squealed as she picked them up and bit her lip. "What do you think?" She asked as she turned to him and showed him the bibs.

"I like them." He replied softly as he studied the bibs.

"Can we get them all?" She asked and he nodded and then watched the excited grin cross her face before she grabbed 15 different packets of 3-piece bibs. "That should be enough?" She asked and Horatio nodded.

"I think that's enough for every baby in Miami." He smiled softly and she chuckled.

"Look, they say 'I love Mummy and Daddy'… they're all so cute!" Zoë squealed again as she picked up another packet and stared at it with a wide grin across her face. "Look '50% Mummy, 50% Daddy, 100% Gorgeous', that is cute, you can't deny that." She smiled as she turned to him and he nodded with a chuckle.

"What are they?" Horatio asked as he looked to the shelf opposite.

"They're muslins, they're essential. We'll get about 100 of these." She grinned as she picked a load off the shelves.

"Is 100 really necessary?" Horatio asked softly.

"You're right, maybe 40?" She asked softly.

"That's a little better, still slightly excessive, but better than 100." He said softly and she giggled as she picked up a few more packets of pink muslins.

"You will be sick of pink before long, I know it." She smiled and Horatio chuckled. "There's lots of white ones too, so I'm not going overboard on the pink." She said softly and he nodded as he looked down to the trolley, he could envision it being very full quite a few times.

"I saw a thermometer that is also a nightlight on the website, so that would be fantastic." She said softly and Horatio nodded and then saw what she was talking about and picked it up to show her. Horatio had to keep Zoë moving along as she'd stop very often and get too excited over the small things. "Will they need two baths so we can do them at the same time, or one?" Zoë asked as she turned to him and placed her hand on one of the plastic baby baths.

"It won't hurt to get two." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded as she looked back to them and saw a variety of colours.

"Pink or white bath sets?" She asked softly as she looked back to him.

"Whatever you'd like." Horatio said softly with a gentle smile.

"You've got to have some choice and input, how about one of both?" She asked softly and he nodded.

"That's a good idea." She said softly and she then put them in the trolley. "Shall we get two bath supports as well, so they can be bathed in the main bath?" Horatio asked softly and she nodded with a wide smile, happy that he was contributing.

"Aww, Horatio, look at those baby towels!" She said as she walked over to them and picked them up. Horatio knew that the day was going to be full of excited, happy squeals. "They've got teddy bears on and everything!" She smiled as she looked back to Horatio as she felt the material.

"They are cute." Horatio agreed and she smiled.

"Oh my gosh!" Zoë said as she walked over to the shoe section and Horatio quickly followed. '_We'll be here forever…'_ Horatio thought to himself as she picked up a box. "Look! Little baby converse! They are having these." Zoë grinned as she handed two boxes to Horatio who looked at them and chuckled. _'Baby converse? Who makes these things? I think I'm more exhausted than she is already, I'm not even pregnant!'_ Horatio thought as he smiled and raised his eyebrows.

"What? They've got to have style, just like their Mummy and Daddy." Zoë grinned at him and he chuckled again and nodded and then put them in the trolley. She picked up a few more pairs of shoes and then picked up quite a few packets of socks.

"Okay, we just need to get a changing mat, two travel changing mats, bottles, a bottle steriliser, two car seats, baby carriers, two high-chairs, play mats, baby swings, plug covers, cupboard door locks, toys/teddies, two door bouncers, a fair few bottles, prams and last but not least, baby clothes!" She grinned at him and he raised his eyebrows. She then put the list back in her pocket.

"Wow, we might have to do a few trips for all of that, sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I know. But I'm sure one of the shop assistants can give us a hand with the bigger stuff, the car is next door to this." She said softly and he nodded.

"Let's go and look at the car seats and prams first." She smiled softly and he nodded. She walked with him over to the aisle.

"The pink and black ones!" She smiled as she pointed to them and he nodded and picked up two of the boxes of the car seats. They then moved over to the prams.

"Eww all the double prams are icky. Would it be easier to get two single prams?" She asked softly as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What about that one?" Horatio asked softly as he pointed to a pram. Zoë turned and looked at it while a frown immediately became evident on her face.

"Are you a little bit blind?" She asked softly as she looked at him sweetly and he smiled at her and then looked down, a little shyly but he chuckled slightly.

"It would be great if it wasn't lime green, and by the looks of it that's the only colour it comes in, also the girls wouldn't be facing us. I'd like them to face us for the first few months, and then once they're bigger, they can face the outside world." She said softly and Horatio nodded. '_She has got a point… I don't really want to be pushing a lime green pram around.' _Horatio thought to himself.

"Fair enough sweetheart." Horatio said softly as she began to look around again.

"Oh wait, look." She said as she moved down the aisle and then looked at a pram. "This is exactly what I'm looking for." She smiled at him as he walked over to her. "Would you like this, or would you prefer to have single ones?" She asked him softly as she glanced back to him.

"I think the double would be a lot easier." He said softly and she nodded as she picked up the description sheet and read the information.

"I agree. Look at that price, that's 3x more than the single ones. How can they get away with charging that much? What if a family were having twins but couldn't afford one of these?" She asked as Horatio looked at the box behind the pram and also read the description.

"How much is it?" He asked softly as he looked back up at her.

"Just over $2000" she replied and then studied the shocked look on Horatio's face. He mildly frowned as he moved closer to her and read the price for himself.

"That is astonishing, for a pram?" Horatio asked a little confused and she nodded as she looked back up at him.

"Yep" she said softly and he exhaled as he looked back to the boxes.

"Anyway, do you want this one then?" Horatio asked warmly.

"It depends if you want it too. If you don't like it, then we can look elsewhere." Zoë said warmly.

"I like this pram. It's got everything we need and it looks very sturdy." Horatio said warmly and Zoë nodded with a smile. "What colour? Black, red, pink, blue or grey?" Horatio asked warmly.

"Red please; this model one looks really good." She said warmly and Horatio nodded before he lifted the box and placed it on top of the trolley. They then walked off to look at a few more things when Zoë placed her hand on his lower back and exhaled. "I think I need a rest, Horatio." She said once she was mid-way through the list and he nodded with a gentle smile.

"We'll go and pay for this and go and get something to eat, yeah?" He asked and she nodded with a gentle smile.

"Okay handsome." She smiled sweetly and proceeded to the checkout with him. They quickly loaded everything onto the counter and walked to the other side to pack everything into bags.

"Would you like some help getting this to your car, ma'am?" The young cashier asked and she nodded with a gentle, tired smile.

"Please, that would be a fantastic help." She said softly and he nodded with a soft smile. He then buzzed a button as he continued to scan the items. Zoë helped Horatio pack the small things.

"How many weeks are you?" The cashier asked warmly with a charming smile.

"23 weeks tomorrow." She smiled back.

"Twins?" He asked and she nodded, she was quite shocked that he'd managed to guess that she was having twins while Horatio looked up at him with a blank expression. "You're looking very good for 23 weeks, we quite often have mothers in here looking completely exhausted already." He said as he scanned the last item.

"Thank you." She said softly as she placed her hand on Horatio's lower back as he put his card into the machine. She moved closer to him and then smiled up at him.

"This is Justin, he'll help you take the larger items out, have a great day." The young cashier said as he handed Horatio the receipt.

"Thank you." She said softly and he nodded with a smile. She picked up a few of the light bags as Horatio picked up the rest of them while the other assistant loaded the boxes onto a trolley and walked out after them.

"He seemed nice." Zoë said softly as she smiled up at Horatio.

"Hmm" Horatio murmured softly as they walked through the car park.

"What?" She asked him softly as she looked up at him with an innocent expression.

"He seemed nice because he was eyeing you up." Horatio said softly, he clearly wasn't impressed by it, but there was nothing he could do and he knew it wasn't Zoë's fault at all.

"Really? He's like 21 years old…" Zoë scowled at him, slightly confused and he nodded as he raised his eyebrows. "Why do people keep checking me out? I'm not some piece of meat." She said as she looked up at him, he could see that she wasn't too impressed either.

"You're beautiful, Zoë." Horatio said softly as he tilted his head.

"But I'm fat and pregnant at the moment, not to mention you are with me… surely that's enough to deter even the most desperate of men? I mean, if I saw you glaring at me I'd immediately stop what I was doing." She said as she looked up at him and she saw a small smile appear across his face.

"You're not fat, you're full of babies, to me that's attractive. I know that some men are attracted to pregnant women, so I guess he was one of them." Horatio said softly and quietly as they got to the car.

"Thank you." Zoë said to the assistant who had earphones in and he nodded and got the boxes off the trolleys.

"Are you okay to get these into the car, sir?" He asked and Horatio nodded.

"Thanks again." Zoë said softly and he nodded again after putting the boxes on the floor and then walked back in. "Anyway… if he's attracted to pregnant women, surely that is a place where you wouldn't work… I mean, he could get beat up by the husbands." She said as she put the bags in the boot with Horatio.

"Or it could be the best place to work as there are women who are pregnant whilst single." Horatio said softly.

"Oh yeah, I didn't think about that." She said as she looked at him and then rubbed her back while Horatio lifted the boxes into the boot. "Will our daughters get this when they grow up?" Zoë asked softly as she looked at him.

"Get what?" Horatio asked as he stood back up and then stepped back from the boot and closed it.

"All of the ogling from creepy men?" She asked softly as she squinted at him because it was bright.

"No because I'll be there to blind them if they so much as look at our daughters in such a way." Horatio said softly and she giggled lightly before she bit her lip. She looked down to the floor and thought about what Horatio had actually just said.

"You know, when I met you, I never thought you'd ever say something like that." She said softly as she began to rub her belly.

"Neither, but then I never thought I'd have a beautiful wife with two beautiful daughters on the way." He said softly as he stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her belly too.

"What if they do come out looking like me? I don't want them stuck with my face." She said as she looked up at him. He saw that she meant it and sighed lightly to himself. He raised one hand to her face and placed his palm against her cheek as he looked into her eyes.

"You are absolutely beautiful Zoë, I'd give anything for our daughters to look like you." He said sincerely as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Of course you're going to say that though, you're my husband." She said softly as she lightly bit her lip and tilted her head at him.

"I've always thought you were beautiful, every man you walk past practically dislocates their jaw when they stare at you, plenty of people have told you that you're beautiful, Zoë. You even caught me checking you out before we got together. Why don't you believe them? You really are beautiful, you still take my breath away each time I look at you, each time I wake up next to you." Horatio said softly and she smiled shyly up at him. But he could see that there was still that small belief that he was telling her a lie.

"Thank you Horatio." She said softly and he smiled, happy that she'd finally accepted his words and didn't argue with him.

"Come on, proper lunch." Horatio smiled warmly as he looked the car and then took her hand while she nodded at him with a bright smile. They walked up the street and came to a small restaurant and entered. They walked in and sat down together. Horatio could see Zoë looking a little confused as he placed a menu in front of her after picking it up from the end of the table.

"Do they come round for our orders in here?" Zoë asked softly as she looked back to Horatio, it was clear she hadn't been to a restaurant where waiters don't take your order apart from cafes. '_She really has been brought up living in the high-end of life… she's never been to a not-so-posh restaurant?'_ Horatio thought to himself with a small secret smile.

"No, I'll go up and order for us." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a gentle smile.

"Like in a café?" She asked and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile. "Is this a café then? It looks like a restaurant." Zoë asked him as she tilted her head.

"It is a restaurant, only the waiters don't wait on us hand and foot. It's better in some ways as you're not hassled by them." Horatio explained softly and she nodded with a warm smile, gazing into his beautiful eyes.

Once finished they went back to Mothercare to finish the list and then put the stuff in their car. They then slowly walked up the street and got a few more items, mostly clothes.

"Hey look." Zoë said as she looked up the street and he looked up. "I wonder if there's been a murder?" She asked Horatio and he nodded when he saw patrol cars as well as 3 of the Hummers. They slowly walked up just as Eric walked back over to his hummer. He took a double take when he caught a glimpse of them out the corner of his eye as they approached him.

"H, Zoë what are you guys doing here?" Eric asked softly as they stopped just by him.

"We were shopping." She said excitedly and Eric nodded with a smile as he and Horatio gave each other a nod. Horatio caught Eric looking at him with a surprised expression as he studied Horatio's casual clothing. _'I don't think I've ever seen H so casual before…'_ Eric thought to himself.

"How's it going?" Eric asked softly as he looked at the both of them with a gentle, friendly smile.

"Really good, we've got most of the stuff now, so decorating will start soon." She smiled sweetly and he nodded.

"Remember to give me a call H." He said softly and Horatio nodded with an appreciative smile.

"What have you got?" Zoë asked softly as she placed a hand on her hip and looked over to the scene.

"This is our 3rd murder this week, same killer, we've got nothing." Eric sighed as he glanced back to the scene then looked back to them. He could see that the both of them were intrigued and wanted to work again.

"Your 3rd vic this week?" She questioned and he nodded as he pressed his lips together. "Victim profile?" She asked softly.

"They don't seem to have anything in common at all. We've had two women and one man, none are connected in anyway, but there is no doubt that the killer is on a spree, the victims have all been raped and mutilated." Eric said softly and then watched the disturbed expression cross Zoë's face.

"Even the male?" She asked and he nodded. "When you say raped–" She began as she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head but Horatio cut her off.

"Zoë, we aren't here to discuss cases and you don't need to be thinking about cases at this moment in time." Horatio said firmly and then looked to Eric, looking displeased. Eric quickly got his message and gave him an apologetic expression.

"Sorry H." He apologised and Horatio gave him a nod as he moved closer to Zoë and place his hand on her lower back.

"I could help, I'm good with profiles." She said softly as she looked up at Horatio with a pleading expression.

"No, Zoë." Horatio said firmly again and she nodded as she sighed and looked back to Eric.

"Sorry Eric." Zoë sighed again and pressed her lips together.

"No problem, if you guys need anything, let me know?" He asked and they nodded. Zoë then looked down as she brought a hand up to her nose and realised she had got another nose bleed. Eric quickly handed her tissues and then opened his Hummer door.

"Sit down sweetheart." Horatio said softly and then helped her up and into the Hummer as she sat on the edge of the seat and looked at the both of them while she held the tissue to her nose and pinched the bridge of her nose at the same time.

"Hey baby girl, everything okay?" Alexx asked as she walked over to them. Horatio turned and nodded with a gentle smile, but also caught her studying his casual attire.

"Sorry, it's just a nose bleed." Zoe said softly and Alexx nodded as she stepped forwards to stand beside Horatio while Horatio had placed his hand on one of Zoë's knees.

"Can I check your pulse baby?" She asked and she nodded as she gave him her left hand and stopped pinching the bridge of her nose.

"What's your normal resting pulse?" She asked softly and Zoe looked to Horatio.

"Around 85bpm." He said softly and Alexx nodded as she removed her hand from Zoë's wrist.

"All feels good then." She smiled softly and Zoë smiled back. They casually spoke about the progress of the pregnancy until Zoë's nosebleed stopped and she threw the tissue away.

"Thank you." She said to Eric and Alexx and they both gave her a nod and a smile.

"Are you doing some shopping?" Alexx asked softly and Zoë nodded as she moved closer to Horatio again and placed one of her arms around his lower back while she rubbed her belly with her other hand. He placed his arm around her shoulders and smiled at Alexx kindly.

"We've got loads of clothes today as well! They're all so cute! You should come round and I'll show you them all, our girls will be the cutest babies in the world." She smiled and Alexx smiled with a light chuckle.

"I'll pop over sometime over the weekend, if that's okay?" She asked and Zoë nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, that would be great." She smiled and Alexx nodded with a bright smile.

"I'll text you baby; I've got this body to deal with right now. It was lovely to see you." She said as they gently hugged.

"I've got to be off too." Eric replied softly and she nodded and then hugged him too. Both Zoë and Horatio left them to it, but both wanted to know more about the case. Zoë knew Horatio was very curious even if he said he wasn't.

Eric walked back over to where he was processing before he was side-tracked and continued. "Where have you been?" Walter asked as he walked into the room Eric was in.

"Zoë and H walked past, they are doing some shopping." Eric replied with a gentle smile.

"Really? You should have called me. How's she doing?" Walter asked curiously.

"She's doing well, she's looking a lot bigger now even though a week has passed, but she's looking really good and well. They're both clearly very happy, which is just what they deserve." Eric said softly.

"Is she as big as me yet?" Walter asked as he placed his hand on his stomach and patted with a smile.

"I don't think she could ever be that big." Eric replied with a grin before he turned around and looked at a chest of draws with his crime-light.

"Hey… it's puppy fat, it makes me comfortable to hug." He smiled and Eric chuckled lightly as he shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah." Eric replied sarcastically as he concentrated on the wood. "Anyway, have you got anything?" Eric asked as he looked over to Walter when he didn't see anything on the chest of draws.

"Yeah, I've got unusual blood spatter." Walter replied and Eric nodded and finished what he was doing.

"Show me?" Eric asked and Walter nodded and then walked through the house to the bedroom.

"It's just completely out of place, like the killer moved mid-stabbing. All of the cast off is going that way, but there's one line of blood spatter there." Walter said and Eric nodded as he studied the spatter. He looked up at the ceiling where there were 4 clear visible blood spatter tracks, but then he looked over to the wall and saw a horizontal blood spatter track.

"Perhaps he changed directions when the victim was dead and carried on stabbing?" Eric asked as he looked back to Walter with a frown.

"No, because if the victim was on the floor the blood spatter would be vertical not horizontal, surely?" Walter asked and Eric sighed as he nodded.

"This is where we need Zoë." Eric said and Walter nodded as he looked around the room.

"Can we send her some pictures?" Walter asked Eric.

"H doesn't want her working or thinking about cases. They're both as curious as the other, but I can understand why H would want to keep away." Eric said and Walter nodded. "Maybe the horizontal spatter is from a the first stab that rendered the victim on the floor where they continued to stab, causing the vertical tracks?" Eric suggested and Walter nodded in agreement, but wasn't sure.

"We'll have to see what Alexx can give us I suppose." Eric replied and Walter nodded.

XXXXXXXX

Zoë woke Saturday morning with a loud moan as her right leg went into spasm with a painful cramp. Horatio quickly woke as she tried to stretch her leg herself as she slowly sat up. She bit her lip hard before she gritted her teeth with a hiss of pain.

"Relax beautiful, it'll make it worse if you tense." He said softly as he sat up and began to massage her calf as he pulled her foot up as she slowly laid back down. He felt her muscle relax and then gently put her leg back down onto the bed. He looked up at her and saw that she was a lot more relaxed herself now. She looked down to him with a sweet, tired expression and gave him a gentle smile.

"How are your feet, beautiful?" Horatio asked softly as he placed both hands on her shins and looked up at her tenderly.

"Painful and they feel swollen." She said softly as she looked over to him and he nodded with a gentle smile as he began to lightly rub her feet.

"It was all that walking yesterday." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she sighed. '_Definitely worth all the walking though.'_ Zoë thought to herself.

"They'll be fine once I've had a bath." She said softly and Horatio nodded as he laid back down beside and placed his hand over her belly. She turned her head and looked at him with a gentle smile. "Morning Daddy" she said softly as she looked at him as she placed her hand over his.

"Morning Mummy" he replied before he placed a soft kiss on his lips. She lightly giggled and felt butterflies in her stomach again while she bit her lip.

"Are we going to move the stuff out of the gym room today?" She asked softly and Horatio nodded as she raised her other hand and pushed her fingers through his floppy hair.

"I'm going to move the stuff out of the gym room today." Horatio said softly.

"You can't do it all on your own, that equipment is heavy." She said with a mild frown as she ran her other hand up his forearm and back down to his hand.

"I'll ring Eric or Joe, don't worry sweetheart, you can't lift things like that anymore your back is bad enough at the moment." He said softly with a gentle smile as he pulled her hand from his hair and then kissed her palm lightly.

"As long as you get someone to help." She said softly and Horatio nodded as he moved her hand from his mouth and smiled gently at her. "Okay, I'm going for a bath." She said softly as she slowly sat back up and he nodded as he rolled onto his back to give her room to get out of bed. She very slowly got herself out of bed but then felt the familiar sharp pain in her lower right side abdomen and sat back down. She laid back down and began to rub her stomach with a hiss of pain. "I wish we could carry a baby each." She said as she looked up to Horatio who was now sat up and rubbing her stomach too.

"I agree." He smiled softly and she smiled back when she relaxed and felt the pain disappear. "You stay here for a little while and rest while I go and run you a bath." He said softly and she nodded.

"Lots of bubbles please?" She smiled softly and he nodded before he walked out and down the hall. He walked back in to collect Zoë a towel while she rubbed her stomach more. She sat up as he walked over to her and placed a hand under her arm and slowly helped her up.

"See, slowly. There's no rush." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a gentle smile.

"I forget sometimes." She said softly. Horatio nodded as he walked through to the bathroom with her and placed her towel down on the side as she pulled a breakfast bar from a shelf. Horatio smiled as he turned the bathwater off and made sure it wasn't too hot.

"Thank you Kitten." She smiled as she finished the breakfast bar and threw the wrapper in the bin. "Can you join me please?" She asked and he nodded. He stripped as she did and then very gently helped her into the bath and then got in behind her. He pulled her back to sit between his legs as she leant back. She smiled up at him as he placed his hands on her belly and then kissed her forehead.

"Baths are amazing, you are amazing, put together and you're both incredible." She said softly as she closed her eyes and let Horatio's hands take her away. She felt the smile on Horatio's lips as he kissed her forehead again. "We forgot flippy bras and baby books yesterday." She said softly as she felt Horatio's hands moving over her belly.

"We can get them another time sweetheart." He said softly and she nodded and then slowly sat up and began to wash as Horatio washed himself. She relaxed back once he was finished washing.

"My boobs are still changing, look." She said as she looked down at them. "Are they supposed to look like that? I swear my nipples have got bigger…" She said as she looked at them.

"That's normal sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he continued to glide his hands over her belly and felt a few kicks.

"How do you know though? Have you ever seen a pregnant woman's nipples before she was pregnant and then after?" She questioned as she sat up and looked round to him. He saw the slight fire in her eyes.

"No I haven't sweetheart, but they've got to change because the babies won't be able to feed properly." He said softly as he rubbed her back and tilted his head with a calm expression.

"Are you sure you haven't been with another woman who's pregnant?" She questioned as she lowered her eyebrows.

"I promise you I haven't." He said softly and Zoë then relaxed as she nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said as she looked down and he pulled her back against him.

"That's fine sweetheart." Horatio said as he kissed her shoulder.

"I do want to breastfeed them, can they both feed at the same time?" She asked softly as she placed her hands over both of his.

"I'm sure they can, we can ask Val." He said softly and she nodded.

"Yeah, you don't have to be with me if you don't want to be when it comes to the breastfeeding stuff, breastfeeding probably isn't something you want to stand about listening to. I know you get a little uncomfortable when we discuss things like that with others." She said softly.

"Of course I want to come, I want to be able to help you in any way I can. To know how to help you, I need to know exactly what goes on. It's only breastfeeding as well, I'm not going to feel uncomfortable about that, that's how our girls are going to be fed. I'd probably only be uncomfortable if we were discussing it with a male, but we're not, so I'm fine. Breastfeeding is nothing to be embarrassed about." He said softly.

"You're the best husband and Daddy ever." She smiled softly as she closed her eyes and felt his hands run over her belly once more. He smiled and exhaled a contented breath. "Can you feel them?" She asked softly and he nodded against the side of her head while he looked down to the water and saw it moving slightly from where one or both babies were kicking and causing small movements in the water. "They woke up when we got into the bath I think, they must sense their Daddy rubbing my belly." She smiled softly and he nodded with a smile himself. He lightly kissed the skin below her ear and smiled again. "What does it feel like to know you're going to be a father in a couple of months' time?" She asked softly as she placed her hands over his again.

"The same as it feels to know that you're going to be a mother in a couple of months' time." He replied and she nodded with a smile as she opened her eyes.

"Are you still feeling a little nervous?" She asked curiously and Horatio nodded.

"We're both going to feel slightly nervous right up until you give birth, I think, it's natural to feel nervous." He said softly and she nodded as she removed her hands from his and placed them on his thighs to push herself up a little more as she could feel herself slipping down.

"I wish our mothers were here to meet their grandchildren." She said softly as she placed her hands over his and rested her head back again. She then took a sharp in take of air as she began to worry. _What if his mother was abusive as well? I can't assume she wasn't because mine wasn't, I swear he's told me about his mother before, she wasn't abusive, was she? Oh god, I put my foot in it…. Shit.'_ She thought to herself.

"Horatio I'm really sorry…" she apologised quickly and he frowned at her.

"Sorry for what?" Horatio questioned her slightly confused.

"For assuming your mother wasn't abusive, was she?" Zoë asked and Horatio gave her a delicate smile.

"Don't worry sweetheart, she wasn't abusive at all, she was lovely. It was just my father… he was–" Horatio started but quickly stopped just as she began to cry. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? There's no need to cry, you've not upset me, you've not said anything wrong, don't worry." Horatio assured her lightly as he raised a hand from her belly and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat up and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry Horatio, carry on," she apologised as she placed both hands on his chest and looked at him. '_Perhaps now isn't the best time to discuss things like my father…'_ Horatio thought to himself as he gently turned her around and pulled her back against him.

"Our mothers are probably in heaven having a coffee right now talking with each other about how proud they are." Horatio said softly and she smiled softly as she nodded.

"I wish I could have met your mother, I think she would have been an incredible woman, I think she was probably a lot like you." She said softly.

"I wish you could have met her too, she would have loved you. I guess there's similarities between us. I know you're a lot like your mother from how you have described her. It would have been an honour to meet her too." He said softly as he rested his head against hers.

"With the amount of times our paths have crossed without us realising, you probably did meet her at some point." She said softly and Horatio lightly chuckled.

"That's probably true." He said softly.

"We should get out." She mumbled quietly and he nodded.

"Another minute." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile as she began to rub Horatio's hands lightly. They sat together, feeling each other's movement as they took steady breaths.

"That's a minute I think." She said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He looked down and nodded then placed a kiss on her lips. She smiled at him and then looked forwards to get herself out when she jumped back.

"No!" She screamed as she pushed back on Horatio and began to shake her head as she burst into tears.

"Ow, Zoë." Horatio groaned as he placed his hands on her back to try and push her off him.

"No! Please don't! No, Dad!" She screamed as she rose to her feet and jumped out of the bath.

"Zoë!" Horatio said as he quickly got out himself as he cupped his genitals as she'd sat on him.

"No!" She screamed as she stumbled and fell to the floor as Horatio quickly rushed over to her.

"Zoë, you're okay sweetheart, you're safe." He said as she crouched beside her and leant over and placed his hands either side of her head as she turned onto her back. She grabbed his wrists and tried to pull them from her cheeks and head as she closed her eyes.

"No! Horatio help me please! Don't let him get us!" She screamed and Horatio's ears hurt when she let out the piercing scream out of fear.

"You're safe, Zoë, I've got you." He said as he leant down and placed his forehead against hers and felt her fast breaths against his cheek as she hyperventilated. He stroked both of her cheeks with his thumbs lightly. "You're safe, I've got you Zoë." Horatio said softly as he rubbed his nose against hers and she calmed but began to cry as she opened her eyes and saw that it was Horatio touching her and above her.

"He was in the bath." She cried as she looked up at Horatio and he nodded as she moved her hands and placed them on his shoulders.

"You're safe, he can never hurt you again." Horatio said softly as he sat back up and then placed his hands on her belly.

"Does your tummy hurt?" He asked softly and she shook her head as tears fell from her eyes.

"He wanted our girls." She cried more as she looked up at him.

"He's not having our girls, he never will. You are all safe, I promise you Zoë, you're all safe." He said softly as he rubbed her stomach. She nodded as she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "Let's go and get dressed?" Horatio suggested and she nodded. He slowly helped her up and handed her a towel and then let the bathwater out. He walked out with her after he'd wrapped a towel around his waist.

"I'm sorry Horatio, I panicked." She said as she looked up at him and he nodded with a gentle smile as they entered the bedroom.

"Don't worry about it." He said softly.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked softly as she stopped and kicked the door closed as she looked up at him.

"Not badly, it was a little uncomfortable when you sat on me and pushed me back." He said honestly and she nodded as she looked down and pressed her lips together for a brief moment.

"I'm really sorry." She said softly as she looked at the floor with an apologetic expression while she bit her lip lightly.

"It wasn't your fault, it's okay." He said softly and she looked up at him with a small smile as he dropped the towel from his hips and pulled on a pair of boxers.

"Why did I see him?" Zoë asked Horatio as she dried herself.

"Perhaps it was because we were talking about family which awakened a memory?" He asked softly.

"But, he was never in the bath with me at any point, I always feared he'd get in the bath, but he'd be by the bath, not in. It wasn't a memory." She said as she looked down and pulled the towel tighter around herself once she was dry.

"It could have been that fear Zoë, having our girls will probably awaken some memories that we don't want to remember, but we will get through it together." He said softly as he walked over to her and she nodded as she looked up at him.

"That's another reason why I couldn't bath or shower on my own as a child as I was terrified he'd come and get me… he did things to me in the bath so David usually had to be there to reassure me and keep me calm." She said softly as she looked back down and swallowed. She shuddered and then looked back up at him. "I'm sorry Horatio, I didn't mean to startle you or hurt you." She said quietly.

"Don't worry about it." He said very softly and she nodded and then lightly kissed him. "What are you wearing today?" He asked softly as she dried herself more and then applied moisturiser.

"We're not going out anywhere, are we?" She asked softly and he shook his head. "Then some of your joggers and a strappy top?" She asked softly as she dropped the towel and walked over to her underwear draw. She pulled her pants on and a bra and then looked at herself in the mirror with a small smile. She looked to Horatio in the mirror as he placed what she was wearing on the bed and walked up behind her with a small smile as he made eye contact.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands against her belly. He watched a small smile appear across her face as she placed her hands over his.

"Am I going to be able to carry them when they get bigger? My belly will literally be bigger than me in the foetal position." She asked softly with a gentle smile.

"You might be a little uncomfortable, but you'll be able to carry them." He said softly and she nodded.

"One of them is kicking or doing flips here." She said softly as she moved his hand as her smile grew more.

"That is still one of the best feelings in the world." He murmured quietly as he nuzzled the skin below her ear.

"You try feeling that happen inside you. It's such an amazing feeling, even if they do sometimes keep me awake. It's so bizarre to think that our children are inside me right now… two living beings, inside me. Two lives that we're going to bring into this world." She said softly as she rubbed her belly with a dreamy smile.

"It's a beautiful thing." He said softly as he kissed her shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm getting hungry." She said softly and he nodded and kissed her shoulder one last time before moving away and changing into a pair of old jeans and a loose t-shirt as she pulled his jogging bottoms on an the black strappy top he'd got out for her. She tied her hair up and then walked downstairs with him and had some breakfast with him. "Is Eric coming over to help?" She asked softly and Horatio nodded.

"He'll he over in about 30 minutes." He said softly and she nodded with a smile as she finished her orange juice off and then picked up her bowl and put it in the dishwasher.

"Where are we going to put all of that gym stuff? The main guestroom is full of the baby stuff, we won't fit it all in the other guest room, will we?" She asked.

"We can put most of it in there and then put the rest of the equipment in the dining room and study?" He asked softly and she pursed her lips briefly as she thought about it. She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around him while he still sat at the island counter. She placed her chin on his shoulder and looked down to his coffee when she got a waft of it which had her taste buds going.

"We could, but then we can't use the dining room when people come over if we do that? Can we just get rid of the two weight machines, the leg and the arm one as well as the weight bench?" She asked softly as she bit her lip and rubbed her cheek against the side of his head.

"That would make it easier. I think I can put the treadmill in two pieces… that will give us more room. The crosstrainer will have to stay as it is though." He said as he placed one hand over hers as she placed her hands flat against his thigh.

"As long as one of them is up and running in the guestroom I'm not fussed, I'll need to do some exercise after birth." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"What one would you prefer?" He asked softly.

"Ideally, I would prefer the treadmill as I can then run, but the cross trainer will be fine." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"We could put the cross trainer in the utility room so it could still be used and the treadmill in the guestroom, so that can be used too?" He asked as he turned his head to look at her and her beautiful smile.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. We can get rid of the punch bag too, what about the bike?" She asked softly.

"Study?" He asked and she nodded.

"Okay, that's everything sorted then." She smiled and Horatio nodded as he lifted his coffee and took a sip. "You both need to be very careful getting those machines downstairs though, they are bloody heavy." She said and he nodded.

"How did you get them in there in the first place?" Horatio asked curiously as he placed his mug back down as Zoë picked it back up and took a quick sip herself while he raised his eyebrows at her. She giggled lightly before she handed it back to him.

"I didn't, the mover men did." She smiled and he nodded. "Are you going to start painting today?" She asked as she stood back up straight and placed her hands on her lower back.

"More than likely, we'll shut the door though and open the window's wide." He said softly and she nodded.

"Okay, make sure you don't gas yourselves though. Although the paint these days isn't horrendously stinky like it used to be." She said softly and he nodded with a smile. "I guess I'm on coffee duty today." She smiled as she placed her hand back on his shoulder.

"You're not on coffee duty; you're to have a very relaxing day after yesterday." He said softly.

"Okay." She smiled softly, she wasn't going to argue with that. She was happy to hear his orders. "Make sure you don't get your jeans dirty… put some of your joggers on and we'll go and get you some more jeans when we next go shopping as you definitely need more." She said softly and he nodded.

"I will." He said and she smiled at him.

XXXXXXXX

Eric arrived 20 minutes later and after talking with Zoë, got straight on with the moving of equipment while Zoë relaxed on the sofa with a book. 40 minutes later she got up to go to the loo and then put the kettle on. She walked up stairs to see Horatio and Eric moving the treadmill into the guest room.

"Do you boys want a coffee?" She asked softly as she leant against the guestroom doorframe and watched them set it down in the corner.

"I'll make coffee in a moment sweetheart." Horatio replied as they pushed the treadmill closer to the wall.

"I'm making myself tea anyway." She said softly and they both then nodded with gentle smiles. "Okay, I'll be right up." she smiled before she walked back down. She made them their coffees and then took it up to them in the gym room.

"Thank you Zoë." They both replied and she nodded with a bright smile as she placed both hands on her hips.

"How far have you guys got then?" She asked softly as she looked around at the half-empty room and noticed that it seemed to echo a little.

"Well, we've taken the weight machines apart and just put the treadmill in the guest room." Horatio replied and she nodded.

"Are we going to dump the weight machines?" She asked softly as she looked up at Horatio.

"Dump them?!" Eric questioned as he raised his eyebrows at the both of them shocked.

"Yeah, well we have no need for them anymore, unless you'd like them?" She asked softly as she turned to him with a smile and tilted her head.

"If you're going to dump them, then I'll take them off your hands." He said softly and she nodded with a smile.

"Excellent, you can have them then, and you can have the weight bench as well if you'd like." She said softly and he nodded with a bright smile.

"I'll give you the money when I'm next paid. Thank you." He said softly as he nodded at the both of them.

"No, don't even think about giving us money, you're very welcome to have them. It's not as if they're new anyway." She said softly.

"Thank you" he said again and she nodded with a smile before she made her way over to the door.

"I'll leave you boys to carry on. Do you want another pair of hands? I can get Joe round here? He'll probably be over at some point today anyway." She said softly as she stopped by the door and turned to them.

"I think we're okay for the moment, thank you sweetheart." Horatio said and she nodded with a gentle smile.

"Okay, shout if you need anything and be careful, okay?" She asked and they nodded with smiles. She walked back downstairs and put her feet up with her herbal tea and her book. She glanced round about 20 minutes later when she heard them slowly making their way down the stairs. She stayed put so she didn't get in their way.

"Where was the bike going again?" Horatio asked softly as they passed the living room.

"They study, put it the other side to the piano?" she asked and he nodded as she glanced over to them. Zoë got up just as they were walking past and Horatio stopped with Eric when he saw that Zoë had flushed rather red.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" He asked and she nodded with a gentle smile as she pushed her fringe back.

"I'm just a little warm, do you mind if I put the air-con on a little cooler?" She asked softly.

"Go ahead, we're getting a little warm too." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile. She then adjusted it slightly and sat back down as they began to read her book with a music channel on low. She fell asleep until she began to get hungry. She put some lunch on for all of them. Once finished, they got back on upstairs after Horatio changed into things he doesn't mind getting paint on.

"Do you guys want a coffee?" She called up the stairs.

"Please, Zoë." Horatio replied.

"Okay." She said as she made them a coffee and then took it up to them. Horatio quickly took them from her with a smile and quickly kissed her.

"That stinks." She said as she looked into the half painted wall.

"I know sweetheart, we're keeping the door shut." He said softly and she nodded as she backed out.

"Shout if you need anything." She said softly and they nodded. She walked back downstairs and relaxed in the shade outside for a little while until Joe rang.

"Hey Bunny" she said softly.

"Hey darling, how are you?" He asked softly.

"I'm good thanks. How about yourself?" She asked softly as she sat back and put her feet up on the opposite chair.

"Yeah, I'm good, just finished work for the week." He said softly.

"That's great, I bet you mean you've just finished your Xbox tournament with whoever it is you play with." She smiled and he chuckled lightly, she then knew she was right.

"What are you up to?" He asked softly.

"Nothing really, I'm sat outside in the shade while Eric and Horatio paint the babies room." She said softly.

"Do they need a hand? I'm free and I'm bored." He said softly.

"Let me go and see." She said as she slowly got up and walked in while the continued to chat.

"Guys, Joe's free and bored, do you want a hand?" She asked softly as she opened the door to the room they were in.

"Please, we'd like to have the first coat on today." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile before she quickly backed out and closed the door.

"Okay handsome." she smiled before she quickly closed the door again and walked away.

"Yes, they'd like that. Wear something old that doesn't matter if it gets ruined." She said softly as she made her way downstairs.

"Okay, I'll be over in about 15 minutes, see you then darling." He said softly.

"See you then." She smiled and then hung up. She went to sit down and then answered the door when Joe arrived. She quickly greeted and hugged him and then said that Horatio and Eric were upstairs. He then walked up and joined them. Once finished they all came downstairs as Zoë made them a coffee.

"Do you guys want to stay for dinner?" She asked softly as she leant against the counter and smiled up at them.

"I wouldn't want to intrude, thank you though Zoë." Eric replied softly before he sipped his coffee.

"You wouldn't be intruding at all, it's the least we could do after what you've done today." She said softly and then looked to Joe, but she already knew his answer.

"That's a yes from me, please." Joe smiled softly and she smiled at him with a nod.

"Only if you're both happy with it?" Eric asked as he looked at the both of them.

"We're very happy to have you, Eric." Horatio assured him and Eric nodded with a gentle smile.

"Excellent, I was thinking taco's?" She asked and Horatio nodded with a secret smile as both Joe and Eric nodded. "Brilliant, well, it's nearly done now." She smiled as she turned back to the oven and hobs to continue with cooking.

"Are you sure there's enough for all of us if it's nearly done?" Eric asked as he looked from Horatio to Zoë.

"Yeah, I did enough for all of us." She smiled and then Eric chuckled as he lightly shook his head in amusement.

"You knew you'd talk me into it, didn't you?" He asked and she nodded as she looked back to him with a grin.

"Do you guys want to go and wash your hands? I'll have this all done in about 10 minutes." She smiled softly and they nodded. Horatio and Joe went upstairs while Eric used the downstairs bathroom. Horatio quickly changed back into jeans and a clean t-shirt while Eric and Joe remained in their clothes which weren't too dirty. Horatio came down and helped Zoë with the food and helped her to lay it out on the island counter.

"I'll be back, I need the loo." She said as she gave Horatio the salad and then walked away and upstairs. She went into the en-suite and then came out as Joe was walking down the hall.

"Thank you for helping out sweetie." She said softly.

"Not a problem, I can come over tomorrow as well." He said softly.

"Thank you, I'll let Horatio know and I'll call you tomorrow if they need any help." She said softly and he nodded. They walked into the kitchen and saw Horatio and Eric talking casually.

"Dinner time? I'm starving." She smiled and then sat next to Horatio, opposite Joe and Eric.

"Water, Zoë?" Horatio asked and she nodded.

"Please." She smiled and he poured her a glass of water and placed it in front of her.

"Do you guys want some coke or Fanta? We've got juice too, or there's boring water." She smiled sweetly at the both of them.

"Water would be great, thanks." Eric said softly and Horatio got him one.

"Same for me, thank you." Joe said softly and Horatio got them all a water and sat down next to Zoë.

"I hope you guys like it, I deviated from the recipe again… I'm not sure if it's any good." She smiled sweetly and they nodded. "Tuck in, eat as much as you want, otherwise I'll end up eating it in the middle of the night and Horatio won't thank me for that." She smiled softly and they nodded with a smile and then started to dig in as Horatio and Zoë did.

"I'm sorry… but you made this, Zoë?" Joe asked and she nodded with a smile as she bit her lip lightly and raised her eyebrows. She could see the cheeky glint in his eye and knew he was going to comment on the quality. "Are you sure?" He asked with a cheeky smile and she lightly giggled.

"Yep, I made the sauce and everything myself." She smiled proudly as she could see them all really liking it.

"Wow, that's a step up from putting pasta in the oven, this is delicious." Joe said softly and she giggled again.

"Yes, it really is… thank you Zoë. All this time I thought you were a horrendous cook because of all the stories you've told me." Eric said softly and she chuckled as she sat back and then took a sip of water.

"Thank you both." She smiled sweetly and then took another bite of her taco as she looked over to Horatio with an ecstatic expression.

"I told you she's pretty good at cooking now, even better when she doesn't follow the recipe book." Horatio said softly to Eric.

"I believe you now." He smiled and Horatio secretly smiled back before he looked to Zoë.

"Well done sweetheart, this is great." He said softly and she smiled at him with a nod.

"Excellent. I've also got dessert, do you like Eton Mess Eric?" She asked softly as she looked up at him and then took another sip of her water.

"What's that?" He asked sweetly once he'd finished his mouthful.

"I'll show you later." She smiled and he nodded. They all had a pleasant conversation and Horatio tidied away as Zoë got the large bowl of Eton Mess from the fridge.

"Eton mess is basically fruit, meringue and cream, its divine. It's my favourite dessert actually." She said softly as she placed it on the counter with a large serving spoon and then got 4 bowls out.

"Help yourselves." She smiled as she sat back down with Horatio and began to help themselves to it.

"I can't believe I've never tried this before, it is very tasteful." Eric said softly and she smiled at him.

"I could eat it all day long I reckon." She smiled softly as she took another mouthful and moaned blissfully. They all smiled, the sound she'd made pretty much summed up how they all felt eating the delicious dessert.

"You probably could too." Joe and Horatio said at the same time and then smiled. She chuckled as she looked at the both of them with a wide smile.

XXXXXXXX

The next day, both Joe and Eric were back round, helping Horatio paint as Zoë got a call from Alexx.

"Hey" Zoë answered with a smile while she sat on the sofa with the iPad.

"Hey baby girl, how are you?" Alexx asked softly.

"I'm good thanks, how about you? How's the family?" Zoë asked as she placed the iPad down on the sofa and sat up straight.

"We're all great thank you honey, are you in?" Alexx asked softly.

"Yes, we are, but Eric and Joe are round helping Horatio paint the girls bedroom so I'm a little bored and it kinda' stinks." She said softly.

"Up for a coffee… or in your case decaff coffee out somewhere?" Alexx asked softly.

"That would be lovely." Zoë said with a relieved smile as she slowly stood up.

"Okay baby, I'll be over to pick you up in 5 minutes." Alexx said softly.

"Thank you, I'll see you soon." Zoë said softly.

"See you soon." Alexx said softly and they then hung up. Zoë quickly got up and went upstairs, she opened the door and poked her head around and felt the strong smell of the paint fill her nostrils almost immediately.

"I'm going out with Alexx for a while, are you guys okay here?" She asked softly as she looked at Eric and Joe before her eyes rested on Horatio while she smiled sweetly.

"That's fine sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she smiled more at him.

"I'm going to get changed." She said softly and Horatio nodded and then walked out after giving them both a nod. Horatio closed the door after himself and walked into the bedroom after her. He closed that door too while she began to pulled out what she was wearing.

"Do you want me to have some officers follow you?" Horatio asked softly as he stood in the middle of the room as he didn't want to touch anything in case he had paint all over him.

"No thank you Kitten, I've got a good feeling." She smiled softly with a natural smile.

"Are you sure?" He asked and she nodded as she stripped and then pulled some leggings on.

"Don't worry, we're just going for a drink, I need to get out of this house, it stinks." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Sorry sweetheart." He said softly with a guilty looking expression.

"It's not your fault, you've got the door shut and the windows wide open, so you're doing your best." She said softly and he nodded as she walked over to the closet. "It'll be lovely to have a catch up with Alexx anyway." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he watched her pull on a long plain purple top. "Does that look okay?" she asked softly and Horatio nodded before she looked down at herself and adjusted the top over her belly.

"You look beautiful." He said softly with his charming smile. She stepped forwards and placed both hands on his cheeks.

"Thank you." She smiled and then kissed him. He went to hug her but she pulled away quickly and looked down at his t-shirt and joggers. "You've got paint all over you." She said softly and Horatio nodded as he stepped back.

"Sorry sweetheart." He said softly and she nodded with a smile.

"Don't worry, I'll see you later anyway." She said softly as her phone began to ring with Alexx's name popping up.

"See you later, call if you need anything." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she stepped forwards again.

"I love you handsome." She smiled before giving him another kiss.

"I love you too, beautiful." He said as he kissed her back. She then answered her phone and said that she'd be right out. Horatio walked back into the other bedroom after opening their bedroom windows to get some air in there. Zoë then got into Alexx's car and went to a café with her while they had a pleasant conversation.

"This is a cute place." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded as they got out of the car.

"I used to come here all the time with my husband." She smiled softly as they walked around to the front of the car to meet. Zoë smiled at her and then walked in with Alexx.

"What's in the bag?" Zoë asked softly and Alexx could hear the intense curiosity in her voice.

"You'll see baby girl." Alexx smiled and Zoë smiled back as she tilted her head before she looked back down to the bag. "You're too curious for your own good baby, it's a nice surprise, don't worry." Alexx assured her and Zoë nodded, still looking intrigued. They entered the shop and Alexx got the drinks as Zoë sat down and rubbed her stomach. Alexx came back over with a smile and set the drinks down on the table. She sat and smiled at Zoë as Zoë thanked her for the drink and pulled her mug towards herself. Alexx then lifted the bag onto her lap which caused Zoë to look at her with curiosity firing up in her eyes again.

"I've had these for some time, but I wanted to wait until you did your own shopping first." She said as she handed Zoë the bag she had, so then realised what was in the bag, the thought of Alexx buying stuff for the babies hadn't even entered her mind.

"Alexx, you didn't have to do anything like that." Zoë said with a smile as she took the bag and placed it on her lap and then looked in. Zoë gasped with a smile as she reached in and pulled out a pack of pink and white baby grows, followed with numerous bibs, vests and socks.

"Alexx, this is all so amazing, thank you so much!" Zoë smiled at her. Alexx could see just how ecstatic Zoë was and felt wonderful.

"No problem baby, I couldn't resist, I love baby clothes, I sometimes wish my boys were that small again. We will both have to go shopping at some point; it brings me back to when my boys were babies." Alexx smiled.

"Aww Alexx, thank you so much, these are so cute." She smiled and Alexx nodded with a smile.

"I thought so too." Alexx smiled and Zoë giggled lightly with a bright smile.

"Look at the bibs." Alexx smiled softly and Zoë put the rest of the items away and pulled the bibs out.

"You've had them personalised?" Zoë asked softly and Alexx nodded as she looked back down to the bibs. "They're so cute, Alexx; 'Zoë's and Horatio's Princesses', '50% Zoë, 50% Horatio, 100% gorgeous' and 'It wasn't me, Daddy did it.' She smiled and giggled at the last one while she looked back up at Alexx who looked ecstatic herself. She was happy that Zoë was so happy with them. "Alexx, they're absolutely amazing." Zoë said as she got up and hugged Alexx warmly. "Thank you so much." Zoë said as she sat back down and put them away after looking at them again. She sipped her drink and couldn't help but look at the items once more.

"I would have had their names done, but I don't know them." Alexx said softly.

"Neither do we, we're going to start thinking about names very soon." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded with a smile. Zoë smiled down at the bag that rested on the floor by her feet again. "Horatio will love them too." Zoë smiled and then took a sip of her drink.

"I'm glad you like them." Alexx smiled warmly before she had a sip of her coffee.

"Our girls really will be the best dressed in Miami." She smiled and Alexx chuckled. "Those socks are so cute; I can't believe how small they are!" Zoë smiled and Alexx nodded with a wide smile.

"I think back and I can't believe my boys were that small once, they grow up too fast." Alexx smiled as she leant on the table and continued to smile at Zoe.

"The pregnancy seems to be running by." Zoë said softly as she sat back and placed her free hand over her belly and Alexx nodded with a smile.

"You'll find that usually when you get to week 35 it starts to slow but you wish it would hurry up. You may find that sooner as you're having twins though." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded as she looked to the table.

"Please don't tell me that." Zoë said softly as she bit her lip and Alexx picked up on her slight nervousness. Alexx sat up straight and pressed her lips together before she leant forwards again.

"How are you really doing? Are you getting the nerves?" Alexx asked and Zoë nodded as she looked back up at Alexx and allowed their eyes to connect.

"They aren't too bad at the moment, but I can have some points where I'll panic. Horatio is fantastic though, he always knows what to say and he's still telling me that I'll be a fantastic mother, I still have doubts though, I don't know what to do. I know Horatio does sometimes worry and I know that we've got to remember that every first parent is the same." She said honestly as she looked at Alexx with a gentle, sweet expression.

"All first time mothers are the same baby, you've really got to remember that, I was like that with Brian, I worried and so did my husband although he didn't really air his worries. Other mothers are in the same boat as you, but I guarantee you that you'll be a fantastic mother, Horatio will be a fantastic father too, I couldn't think of two better people to bring two lives into this world." Alexx said softly and then watched the more confident smile appear across Zoë's face.

"You think?" She asked softly and Alexx nodded confidently herself.

"I know so, you'll both be perfect, you've always got me to fall back on if you need anything. I'm happy to come round at any time, even if it's in the middle of the night and you're unsure what to do about something or if you need some advice. All mothers have their own way of handling their babies, but it's nice to know that there's someone there that has been through it before." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Horatio and I were talking about this the other day, I wish my mother was here to guide me, but I know that we've got you should we need help." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded with a smile.

"Your mother will guide you baby, but yes, I will always be there for you." Alexx said softly and she smiled softly and looked down to compose herself, overwhelmed that Zoë wanted her to be involved and happy to know that she and Horatio were so comfortable with her as she knew that they were two of the most closed off people you could find. "Are you thinking of breastfeeding or bottle feeding?" Alexx asked softly as she looked back up at Zoë with a blissful smile.

"Breastfeeding, but I'm not sure how that would work with twins, I've read that it can be done though. Did you breastfeed?" Zoë asked and Alexx nodded with a gentle smile.

"It can be hard to catch on to at the beginning, but it does get easier. You'll be taught how to do all of that, but I can always help if you're still a little unsure. You can do it with both babies at the same time, it may be more of a task with both of them, but Horatio will be able to help out. After the first couple of weeks you'll pick it up and you'll be fine. Don't forget, that you can express and bottle feed one, while the other gets breastfed. Or you can express and bottle feed both." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded

"I thought about that, but what if one gets jealous of the other." Zoë said softly.

"They're babies Zoë, they won't care, as long as they get their milk they'll be happy." Alexx smiled with a light chuckle.

"Oh yeah." Zoë smiled and then giggled lightly herself as she briefly looked down in embarrassment. "You won't believe what Horatio has to deal with sometimes, I didn't even realise I was so ditsy and thick at times. I asked him if one baby could kick the other so hard that the baby would come out of me early because I felt them kicking each other and quite hard too." Zoë said softly and Alexx began to chuckle lightly with a wide smile. She sat back and grinned at Zoë, highly amused.

"That has definitely made my day better." Alexx smiled softly and Zoë smiled again and looked down briefly but was happy she was of some amusement to Alexx.

"You'd look at my CV and you'd think I was actually an intelligent woman, but you get to know me and you wonder how I even got through Grammar school." Zoë smiled and Alexx chuckled again.

"You do often find that people who are intelligent don't have much common sense, and you're probably suffering from baby brain. I found that I was a little ditsy when I was pregnant with Brian and when he was a baby. I was quite forgetful as well." Alexx smiled softly and Zoë nodded with a smile as she picked up her drink and took another sip. "Are you going to send your girls to a private school?" Alexx asked warmly while she lifted the coffee to her lips.

"Woah, that's too far in the future, but yes. They won't board or anything, I'm keeping my babies at home, but they'll get a good education." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded. "Our girls will have the good things in life, but in moderation, they won't be too spoilt, hopefully anyway. Nothing like a private jet for their 16th birthday or anything. I don't want them to turn out like some of the people in my old school, money can be poisonous, I've learnt that much." Zoë smiled softly.

"They'll turn out to be fine; they've got you and Horatio to guide them through life." Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled.

"That's what I'm worried about! They've got me to guide them through life, Horatio will do a wonderful job, but I am a right handful sometimes. If they're anything like me then Horatio will have his hands full, if they're anything like I was in my teenage years then God help us, there will be two of them. I was bad enough." Zoë said softly as she looked to Alexx, Alexx could tell that she was being half-sarcastic but she could also see that Zoë was genuinely worried about them turning out like her.

"I don't want to upset you baby, but they won't have the life you had. You were difficult because of what you'd gone through, they won't ever get a taste of that sort of life. Anyway, look at you now, I hope they turn out like you. You're an amazing woman." Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled shyly.

"Thank you." Zoë said softly as she nodded. "I'm still difficult though, that's the thing." Zoë said softly as she looked up at Alexx while she lightly pursed her lips and lowered her eyebrows.

"That's not your fault baby, some of that will be to do with your childhood, some of that will be to do with the last couple of years. I'd be the same if I would have been through what you have, I think I'd be worse off actually. That poison causes your mood swings… that isn't your fault. They'll never sample any of that, and they have Horatio as a father… you're very much like you're mother from what I've heard, combine that with Horatio and you'll have the perfect children. You're both the most compassionate people around and you both genuinely care for others, your children will pick up on that and copy. My boys often copy their father, sometimes I'm not too happy about that, but it can't be helped." Alexx said softly with a gentle half smile at the end.

"I guess so, thank you Alexx. One thing I pray to God they get off Horatio is his eyes." Zoë smiled softly as she sipped her drink. Alexx nodded with a smile.

"I've never paid much attention to his eyes but I know they're blue though." Alexx said softly.

"They are beautiful, then again, I've always had something for blue eyes." She said softly with a smile. "I still can't believe you got the girls such cute outfits. You will have to dress them in the clothes at some point and don't be thinking that you're going to get away without changing a few nappies, I'm going to take you back to those days." Zoë grinned cheekily.

"You won't be able to get rid of me baby." Alexx smiled softly and Zoë smiled back with a light giggle.

"They'll love to have their Aunty Alexx around." She smiled softly and Alexx smiled back at her and tilted her head.

"Aunty Alexx?" She asked and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"You're a part of the family, they're going to know that too, I know you're not really their Aunty, but Eric is already Uncle Eric as is Joe." Zoë smiled softly and Alexx couldn't help but smile wildly. '_She really does know how to make my day!'_ Alexx thought to herself while Zoë took another sip. "I think you should have another boy so he can marry one of the twins, how cute would that be?" Zoë grinned.

"I'm way past that honey, as much as I'd love another baby, it's past my time now and I've got two teenage boys… anyway, I don't need another baby when there's two gorgeous girls on their way!" Alexx smiled softly and Zoë nodded with a gentle smile.

"How old were you when you had them?" Zoë asked curiously.

"A bit younger than you." She said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I wish I'd met Horatio sooner, perhaps we'd have the twins with us now then." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"Perhaps there would be more little Caine's running around." Alexx said warmly with a smile and Zoë smiled back as she looked down. "You do want more?" Alexx asked curiously as she tilted her head.

"We'd like a son too." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"Are you going to think about trying straight after you've had the girls?" Alexx asked.

"No, we're going to leave it sometime, I'm sure I won't want to think about more babies for the few months after their born." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded with a gentle smile. "Sorry Alexx, please excuse me, I think one of them is kicking my bladder." She said as she raised an eyebrow and rubbed her stomach. Alexx nodded with a smile as she chuckled lightly while Zoë got up and left her bag and handbag with Alexx. She quickly came back and sat down with a fresh smile.

"That's better, sorry Alexx." Zoë said as she finished her drink.

"Not a problem, are you ready to go?" Alexx asked softly and Zoë nodded.

"Thank you for the drink, next time it's my treat." She smiled softly and Alexx nodded.

"My pleasure, baby." Alexx said as she walked out with Zoë. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go before we head back?" Alexx asked softly as they turned to walk down the street.

"Not that I can think of, thank you though." Zoë smiled and Alexx nodded with a smile. Zoë linked arms with her as they walked down the street. "Oh my gosh, look at those teddies, can we go in?" Zoë asked as they passed a shop.

"Most definitely." Alexx smiled and then walked in after Zoë. "They're all so cute." Alexx smiled softly as they looked around. It really brought back memories of when she was in Zoë's situation and getting ready for her boys. "Have you got them travel toys yet?" Alexx asked.

"No, not yet, but that's going to change now." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded with a light chuckle. They came out of the shop with a couple of bags. "I think they may be a tad spoilt already…" Zoë smiled softly as they continued to walk down the street together.

"They're babies, they will be spoilt." Alexx smiled softly and Zoë nodded with a smile. They headed back, Alexx quickly greeted the 3 men briefly and then left. Zoë walked back upstairs to see the 3 men still working in the room.

"Horatio, Alexx got us some really cute clothes for the girls and I may have spent about $200 in a toy shop on some teddies, toys and books…" She said softly as she stood at the door just as they finished painting the last wall. Horatio looked back to her with a smile and nodded.

"I will have a look when I'm showered and clean." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a wide smile.

"That's a good idea." She smiled and nodded at Horatio. "Do you guys want a coffee?" She asked softly.

"We've just had one, thank you though Zoë." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"Okay, I'll be downstairs." She said softly and Horatio nodded before he gave her a quick kiss.

Eric and Joe left soon after finishing the room and allowing it all to dry out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Monday morning madness." Eric said to Walter and Natalia and they nodded.

"Zoë was always right that it is madness." Walter said and Eric nodded with a gentle smile.

"There was another killing yesterday, bringing the total up to 4, we need to catch this guy now." Eric said and both Walter and Natalia nodded.

"We are trying our best, Eric." Natalia said softly and he nodded.

"I know, but we can't have this guy on the loose much longer." Eric said softly and they nodded.

"We're working on it." Walter said and Eric nodded before he walked out to get on with processing more evidence.

"He's just as tight as Horatio." Walter mumbled.

"They need to be, they're head of the department." Natalia mumbled back and Walter nodded.

"Do you know how Zoë and Horatio are?" Natalia asked softly as she looked up at Walter

"They're good." Walter replied and Natalia nodded as she carried on with her work. '_I should text Zoë later._' She thought to herself. Monday passed and they were back in the next Tuesday morning when Eric got another call.

"There's another body." Eric said as he walked into the lab where they were working. They nodded and then walked out as they passed over the evidence to the lab techs. They arrived at the scene, it was a grotty motel. Eric was first to enter with Natalia, Walter following.

"This vic is exactly the same, both eyes missing and the left ear severed." Eric sighed as he looked down at the body before he looked around the room.

"Stabbed again?" Walter asked and Eric nodded as he looked back to him. "We've got the same blood spatter, look." Walter said as he looked at the horizontal blood spatter line across the wall the opposite side to where the rest of them were.

"Our killer must have a technique? Perhaps the first stab was more of a slash across the stomach then the next 4 stabs when the vic is down?" Natalia questioned as she placed a hand on her hip.

"It's looking very likely." Eric said as he crouched near the body as Alexx walked in.

"Another victim of this psycho?" Alexx asked and Eric nodded and moved to allow Alexx to pass. He remained silent for a few moments while Alexx set herself up and began to look the victim over.

"Can you tell us if she's been raped?" Eric asked and Alexx moved down to the victims legs and checked to see if she had underwear on. She sighed and then looked up at Eric.

"It looks like it; she's not wearing any underwear and there's some wounds on her inner thighs." Alexx said and Eric sighed as he nodded.

"Okay, thank you Alexx." Eric said as he looked around and sighed.

"Walter, Natalia, get on with processing and look at everything, we need to catch this guy soon." Eric ordered loudly, then heard their shouts obeying him.

"Does she have any ID on her?" Eric questioned Alexx calmly.

"Not on the body, but she may have a purse around here somewhere." Alexx said softly and Eric nodded. He then walked away and began to look for the purse. Eventually he found a purse and picked it up to look inside.

"Her college ID card." Eric said as he picked it up and Alexx nodded while he looked at the details.

"Yeah, it looks like she went to Miami Dade college… her name is India Ray, she's 23." Eric said as he looked back to the body and sighed heavily.

XXXXXXXX

Zoë woke the Wednesday morning of her 24th week, she could feel the babies moving around a lot so she laid back and felt them as Horatio continued to peacefully sleep. She laid for an hour and Horatio still didn't wake. She looked over to the alarm clock - 7.30AM. She groaned quietly when she felt a cramp in her lower stomach when she moved onto her back. She tried to keep her groan to a minimum so she didn't wake Horatio and was successful. She rolled back onto her side to face Horatio and watched him sleep but was quickly getting bored. She rolled onto her other side and picked up her pencil eyeliner and rolled onto her left side again and moved Horatio's arm slowly. She had a wicked grin plastered across her face while she began to write on the side of his chest. '_I wonder how long it'll take for him to notice it when he wakes.'_ She thought to herself with a smile. She threw the pencil to the side when finished and relaxed again as she watched him sleep while the babies kicked. She then felt the urge to go to the loo so she slowly got up and didn't disturb him. She walked back out after washing her hands and saw that he was beginning to wake. She climbed back onto the bed and straddled his hips as he opened his eyes with a bright smile already tugging at his lips.

"Morning beautiful" he said as he looked up at her and raised his hands to place them both on her belly.

"Morning handsome" she replied with a wide grin as she placed her hands on his chest.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked softly as he blinked a few more times while Zoë raised one hand and got rid of a bit of sleepy from the corner of his eye.

"About an hour and a half" she said softly and he nodded as he began to lightly rub her stomach.

"What have you done?" He questioned as he raised his eyebrows when he saw the cheeky glint in her eyes.

"Nothing" she said as she stifled a giggle and then placed one hand over one of his on her belly.

"Zoë-Mae, what is it?" Horatio asked as he moved his hands to her thighs and sat up and rubbed her nose with his while she continued to grin.

"Nothing Mr Caine" she smiled as she placed her hands on his shoulders and then passionately kissed him. She then pulled back and lightly bit her lip as she tilted her head and studied his curious smile.

"I know you've done something, I'm not sure whether you've done something to me, or whether you've done something in that bathroom…" He said as he raised his eyebrows higher and removed one hand from her thigh and rubbed one of his eyes. He then looked at his fingers to make sure she hadn't put make-up on his face while she giggled more.

"I've not done a thing." She insisted with a wide grin but the more he pressed the more she couldn't contain herself she just wanted to laugh and point it out to him. She couldn't even understand why it had amused her so much. '_Little things please little minds.'_ She thought to herself.

"I know you're fibbing to me, you can't get away with that Mrs Caine." He said as he kissed her again and touched her nose with his while he looked into her eyes.

"Maybe you'll have to teach me a lesson then?" She grinned as she bit her lip and a boyish grin appeared across his face.

"Maybe I will." He grinned as he kissed her again as he moved his hands to her waist to pull her night-top up a little.

XXXXXXXX

They both walked into the bathroom about 30 minutes later and he could see that she still had the cheeky grin plastered on her face. '_I can't believe that didn't rub off on me, or on the sheets… he's still not noticed. I'm such an evil cow.'_ She thought to herself with a light giggle. He looked back over to her as she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

"I'm going to need help if the girls have your cheeky side, aren't I?" Horatio asked softly as he placed one hand on his hip as he leant against the wall in his night pants that hung lowly on his hips.

"They will have both of our cheeky sides. If they are cheeky, you can't blame me solely because you're just as cheeky." She grinned at him as she brushed her hair. She stepped away from the mirror with a smile and let Horatio take her place so he could shave before he had a shower. She stood in the bathroom watching him with a grin as she rubbed her belly. He couldn't wipe the brilliant smile off his face even if he wanted to. '_What has she done, I know she's done something.' _Horatio thought to himself.

"You've done something to me, haven't you?" Horatio asked and she giggled as she bit her lip.

"No." She smiled as she shook her head and raised her eyebrows.

"You are a useless liar, you know that, don't you?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she giggled a little more and looked down. "What have you done? Have you given me a piercing or something?" He questioned as he checked his ears in the mirror and she began to laugh as she looked up at him.

"No, I wouldn't ever pierce you. Only you do that to me in bed." She grinned as she bit her lip again. He chuckled and then looked back into the mirror and began to shave with a wide smile on his face. He turned to the side to get the side of his face when something black on his chest caught his eye. He frowned and then put his razor down. Zoe knew he'd seen it and began to bite her lip again.

"Zoë, what is that?" Horatio questioned quietly with a wide smile as he lifted his arm and she grinned at him and then made her way out with a cheeky smile. He pressed his lips together and turned to the side to read it.

"_I'm bored and you're asleep, so I'm writing on you right now. It's your fault for being asleep really, so you can't blame me. I just wanted to say; I love you with all my heart, well, all 3 of our hearts now. Also, it was your daughters… they made me do it." _He read out loud as he smiled as he looked back up at the door.

"You wrote on me?" He called out into the bedroom and she walked back in with a shy, still cheeky smile.

"You were asleep, and I was bored. You were basically begging for me to write on you. Just think yourself lucky that I didn't put make-up on your face, but I think I'll leave that to the girls when they're a little older." She smiled sweetly.

"Is it permanent marker?" He questioned with a smile.

"No, it's my pencil eye-liner, it'll easily wash off. Only Joe got the permanent marker when we had a full day of lectures the next day." She said softly and he smiled and chuckled a little.

"I knew you'd done something." He smiled as he picked up the razor again and began to shave.

"I know I'm a pathetic liar." She said softly as she moved forwards.

"It's cute." He said softly and she giggled and then stepped into the shower once she was fully undressed.

"Get in here so I can wash it off, please." She grinned and he quickly did as she asked once he'd finished shaving. She got out of the shower and pulled the towel from the towel rack and then walked out, but accidentally walked into one of the chest of draws as she lost her balanced quickly. Horatio quickly steadied her after rushing out after her.

"That's been happening more and more." She said as she looked down to him as he picked up a couple of items that fell from the top.

"Are you not seeing the things you're walking into?" Horatio questioned, thinking her eyes were the problem.

"Yeah, I can see them perfectly well, but I think I lose my balance… I think it's my centre of gravity, it's moving isn't it as these two babies are out in front of me." She said as she looked to Horatio and he nodded. "Come on, we've got to go shopping now anyway otherwise Mumma will be getting grumpy because I've eaten all the food in the house again." Zoë grinned and Horatio chuckled gently and nodded.

XXXXXXXX

Once home from the shop and had the shopping put away they changed and walked into the pink bedroom and began to put the banner up around the middle of the wall.

"Shall we assemble the wardrobe first?" She asked softly as she stood back up and placed her hands on her lower back as she began to stretch.

"I was going to leave that until the weekend where Eric can help? I'm not really sure I trust you with a hammer anyway. I don't want to be visiting the hospital because you've broken your hand…" Horatio said softly and Zoë began to laugh again. '_He's got a point. I am probably the least handy person when it comes to things like that.'_ She thought to herself while she calmed herself and composed herself.

"Or that, yeah." She smiled softly and Horatio nodded while he continued to kneel on the floor.

"Warning; I advise you move to a panic room." Skyler sounded and Zoë quickly dragged Horatio up and out by his arm as her facial expression changed in a matter of seconds.

"What is that?" Horatio questioned as he looked at Zoë and followed her.

"It's a warning." Zoë said as she pulled him through to the en-suite in their room and locked the door.

"Alerting authorities of dangerous convict." Skyler sounded as Zoë pulled her phone from her pocket and began to fiddle with it as she looked up at Horatio who looked extremely confused.

"She's telling us that there is a convict on our property. I've never experienced this either, it's a first for both of us." She said as she looked up at him sweetly. He frowned mildly when he saw that she was remarkably calm about the whole situation.

"Who?" Horatio questioned as he moved closer to Zoë as he knew she was getting the information from her phone.

"I'm just checking." She said as he watched her touch her phone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"That's the guy that attacked me." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio as she showed him the profile of the criminal. She frowned with wide eyes as she looked up at Horatio whose eyes also widened as they became hot with anger.

"Memmo Feirro, that son of a bitch." Horatio said as he stalked towards the door and went to open it after he unlocked it but it wouldn't open. He frowned at it and tried to open it again but it wouldn't budge.

"She's triple locked the door, she won't open it until it's safe." Zoë said softly as she looked at him, she knew he'd want to go out there and show Memmo what for.

"I didn't even know this door could triple lock, is that why it's so heavy?" He asked and Zoë nodded as she looked at him sweetly.

"I've never used this as a panic room, the study is also a panic room. There's something in the door that helps stop bullets and things, the illusion is that it's just a normal simple door." She said softly as she looked down at her phone and concentrated on it.

"Please lock the door." Skyler said softly and Horatio flicked the lock again and stepped back and looked up at the ceiling before he looked back to Zoë.

"Don't worry, the police are on their way, he won't even know that they've been notified. He's looking in the living room window at the moment." Zoë said as she showed him the phone of the hidden security camera at the front of the house. Horatio moved closer and watched the live feed and frowned at it. "He won't be able to get in, don't worry." She said softly as she began to rub her stomach as she took a deep breath.

"Sit down sweetheart." He said softly and she moved over to the loo and sat on the lid.

"What is he doing? Why is he here?" Zoë questioned Horatio when they saw him walk to another window on the camera.

"I'm not sure." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she looked up at him and then groaned as a cramp hit her leg. "Relax sweetheart." He said softly as he crouched and lifted her leg and began to stretch it for her and then gave her leg a quick massage. Zoë continued to look at the phone while she also rubbed her leg herself.

"He's making a run for it now patrol have pulled up." Zoë said as she watched it on the security camera. "They've caught him." Zoë said softly with a sigh of relief. "They've just tasered him actually, how lucky is he..." She said as she looked up at Horatio. They both heard the release of the locks.

"How does she know it's safe?" Horatio questioned as he glanced to the door.

"Movement recognition, they've probably put him in the car, and she's looking at their badges and number plate and knows it's a police car. She is incredibly intelligent, haven't you read the manual that comes with her?" She got up and looked at him as he looked back to her and shook his head. Zoe walked out after Horatio as there was a knock at the door. They walked down and Horatio picked his gun up and hid it behind his back as he walked up to the door and looked through the eye hole and saw a police officer standing on their porch. He opened the door as he put the gun back down.

"Lieutenant, detective, Memmo Feirro has been arrested, thank you for your call." He said softly and they nodded, Zoë had a gentle smile while Horatio looked over to the patrol car with a grim expression.

"What will happen to him? I'd like to charge for his attack on me." Zoë asked softly as she took hold of Horatio's hand and glanced up at him before she looked back to the officer.

"He'll be taken straight back to prison and he'll be tried at a later date for your attack." He said softly and she nodded.

"Thank you." She said softly and he nodded.

"Have a great day." He said before he walked away.

"You too." Zoë replied as Horatio closed the door. A feeling of justice and relief flooded through the both of them as Zoë looked up at Horatio with a gentle expression as she placed a hand on his chest and looked out one of the windows beside the door.

"Well that wasn't how I expected our afternoon to turn out." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she looked back to him.

"Neither, thank God for Skyler." She said as she looked at him and he nodded.

"I'm a lot happier now I know what happens when there is a dangerous man or woman approaching the house." Horatio said softly as they walked back upstairs and she nodded at him. They carried on with the bedroom whilst having an enjoyable conversation.

XXXXXXXX

Eric arrived at work the next Thursday morning, just as another phone call came in to announce another body had been found. He went out with the team to find that the victim had suffered in the same way as the rest of the victims, they couldn't find a link between them though. While out on the call out, he had a call from Calleigh.

"Hi Calleigh, can I call you back? I'm out at a scene at the moment." Eric said softly.

"Of course, sorry Eric, I'll speak to you later." Calleigh said softly before they hung up. Eric got back to work with Natalia and Walter to try and bring the serial killer to justice but they still couldn't find anything. All were incredibly frustrated, Eric more so, he just wanted to bring the criminal to justice. Eric returned home after his day at work and rang Calleigh as he sat on his sofa after a workout.

"Hey Cal, sorry about earlier." He said softly as he brought a cold glass of orange juice up to his lips.

"Don't worry, I knew you'd probably be busy anyway. How are you?" She said softly as he flicked the TV on .

"I'm good thanks, a little tired, but I'm good. How about you? How's Tyler?" He asked softly as he slunk down into the sofa and made himself comfortable.

"We're both great thank you, I was actually ringing because I was thinking about bringing him down to Miami for a long weekend next month, I was wondering if you'd like to meet him? I do still understand if you're not ready though." She said softly and Eric sat up straight and leant forwards as he looked down to the coffee table and concentrated on it.

"I'd like to meet him… that would be good thank you." Eric said softly as he placed the glass down.

"Are you sure? I mean, I was going to book a hotel and you can change your mind at a later date if you want? I understand that you'll be nervous." She said softly.

"I'd really like to meet him Calleigh, you say you'll be down in a month?" Eric asked softly as he got up and walked over to the calendar in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I will give you the exact dates, we'll probably come down on the Friday and leave on the Monday." She said softly.

"What about Tom, is he coming?" Eric asked curiously and Calleigh could hear the slight bitterness and jealousy in his voice but he did well to hide it.

"No, it's just us." Calleigh said softly. Eric felt her southern accent move through his body and only wished that he'd made Calleigh speak to him before she made the decision to leave Miami.

"If you want you can both stay at mine, you don't have to get a hotel." He said softly.

"Thank you Eric, I'll think about it. But a hotel is generally easier as we'll be flying down so I can't bring his travel bed or anything, they can provide that for me as he's not in a big bed at the moment, he needs the side-supports and things still." She said softly.

"Okay Calleigh, just let me know when you're down and whether I can do anything." He said softly.

"Thank you Eric, I will, I hope you have a great week." She said smoothly.

"Thank you, you too Cal, see you soon." He said before they hung up. He immediately felt butterflies in his stomach, something he didn't experience too often.

XXXXXXXX

"Horatio, I don't feel too good again." Zoë said quietly as they sat on the sofa together.

"Okay sweetheart, I'll get you something to eat, stay here." Horatio said as he got up and quickly walked into the kitchen, he came back with a bag of grapes and a large glass of orange juice.

"Thank you, Kitten." She said softly as she

"You need to eat more regularly sweetheart, we'll give Val a call and she'll probably have you checked over again and will have a doctor check you all over in the 28th week, she did mention that if you were starting to get some problems. We'll have to mention the more frequent nose bleeds and near passing out too." He said as he sat beside her and then began to rub her belly as she shovelled down the grapes as well as the orange juice. "The grapes aren't going anywhere Zoë, slow down." He said warmly with a smile and she looked over to him with a shy smile as she slowed down her eating.

"Yeah, but it's not uncommon for women to have slightly lower blood sugar when they're 26 weeks pregnant. I'm fine, thank you, I already feel better too, I think I'm going to start having meals at the same time during the day, more if I'm a little more active. Yeah… about seeing that Obgyn doctor… I'm not sure I'm a fan of that." She said softly and Horatio sighed softly.

"Sweetheart, it's necessary. I'm going to be with you all the way, they're not going to hurt you or the girls. They're there to help you and the girls and to make sure everythings going well. You are getting some irregular heartbeats so they want to keep a closer eye on you, okay? Don't worry about it." Horatio said warmly as he looked into her eyes with soft eyes himself.

"Why can't Nathan do that though? Or Alexx? It is a female doctor, isn't it?" Zoë questioned.

"Neither Nathan nor Alexx can do that Zoë. They can check you over in an emergency, but an obgyn needs to check you over because of the babies. They're a specialist, they won't hurt you. Yes, it'll be a female doctor." Horatio said warmly as he tilted his head.

"But I'd rather have Alexx look at my fanny than some stranger, she's already seen all of that anyway." Zoë asked before she put a few more grapes in her mouth.

"Yes, I know you'd prefer that but Alexx isn't that sort of doctor." Horatio said warmly.

"They're all the same though, they all went to med school and they all have stethoscopes. What's the difference between the letters after their names?" Zoë questioned.

"They just are Zoë, they've gone into a particular area where they've specialised in something. The doctor will know what she's doing. She'll probably be present at the birth too, Zoë. Val has warned us that the doctor may have to be there as there could be some complications which are nothing to worry about." Horatio said warmly and she exhaled.

"If you were me and were pregnant, you'd know how I'm feeling right now. I know I'm going to lose my dignity, that's something that I think I've kind of managed to keep intact here in Miami?" Zoë questioned and Horatio sighed to himself. '_Well… she still doesn't know how bad she was when we had that car crash… but I guess it was only Nathan and Alexx that saw her like that.'_ Horatio thought to himself and felt bad for keeping it a secret from her still.

"I know sweetheart, but we knew that dignity and pregnancy don't really go together. But they've done it hundreds of times before Zoë." Horatio said warmly as he pulled her top up and continued to rub her stomach.

"They may have, but I haven't. I'm going to be mortified if someone tries to stick their hand up my vagina. I think I can probably deal with Val doing that… but not some obgyn doctor that I don't know." Zoë said as she looked at him. He couldn't help but exhale a small chuckle because he found the way she had said the sentence funny. "If you stand naked in the room too, not all attention will be on me. We can lose our dignity together?" Zoë asked and he chuckled again.

"Erm… I'm not quite sure I'm comfortable with that. They'll probably all have heart attacks and I'll have deliver the girls and that isn't something I'd advise." Horatio said warmly as he smiled sweetly at her while she took a few gulps of the orange juice.

"Let's stop talking about that, I want to live with dignity up until it's taken away from me." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile. Horatio sat back and placed his hands on his stomach and looked at her with a gentle smile.

"I'm definitely putting on the pounds with this regular eating. But I think your belly is bigger than mine… and filled with two babies, I don't have an excuse." Horatio smiled softly and she giggled as she sat back and rubbed her stomach as she continued to eat the grapes.

"You don't have to eat what I eat and when I eat it, you should probably stick to your 3 meals a day… well, your 2 meals a day and coffee in the morning." She said softly as she smiled up at him.

"It's a lot more hassle if I did that though, I'd rather eat when you ate and eat what you eat. I'm sure I'll lose it again after they're born though." Horatio smiled softly and she pressed her lips together. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the devilish glint in her eyes.

"Well, I can think of something we can do to combat the weight gain… it involves exercise and our bedroom." She grinned and he smiled at her with a boyish grin as he sat forwards and picked up her orange juice to have a sip before putting it back down again while she placed one hand on his thigh.

"Not at the moment sweetheart, give me some time to recover, please." He said softly and she nodded with a grin while she bit her lip.

"I've got a shit load of tests on the 28th week, haven't I?" She grumbled.

"It's normal for the 28th week or thereabouts anyway sweetheart. Val will try and make it easier on you and will introduce us to the doctor herself she'll probably stay with us as well." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded as she put the grapes down when she got a leg cramp again. Horatio quickly gave her legs a massage while she tried to relax herself further.

"At least I'm not getting the fat feet and ankles like most pregnant women get, I guess it's because my legs are in the air a lot." She grinned cheekily and then watched Horatio laugh as he rubbed her calf muscle and thigh on her right leg.

"Technically, they're not in the air when we make love anymore, sweetheart." Horatio smiled and she grinned with a smile.

"Okay, fair enough. Thank you Horatio." She grinned as her leg felt better. She then ran her hand through his floppy hair which prompted him to sit back with a gentle smile. "I've got to go to the loo again handsome, sorry." She said as she slowly got up and held her stomach and walked into the downstairs bathroom after pulling her top back down. She then walked back in with a gentle smile.

"I'm needing the loo more again, I am not looking forwards to this, I liked it when I didn't have to go every 5 bloody minutes." She said softly as she sat back down slowly and pulled Horatio over. He looked at her with a mild frown, a little confused as to what she wanted him to do.

"Put your head in my lap, you're tired." She said warmly and Horatio then laid down and placed his head in her lap and looked up at her as she began to play with his hair with her left hand while her right hand snaked down his top and began to lightly rub his chest. '_Mmm… this is good.'_ Horatio thought to himself and Zoë smiled at him when she saw him really relax.

"That means even less sleep for us, I wish you weren't such a light sleeper then maybe I could get up and go to the loo without disturbing you." She said sighed softly as she looked down and into his bright blue eyes while she continued to play with his hair.

"I don't mind sweetheart." Horatio said softly before he turned his head and kissed her belly that was right next to his head.

"Yeah, but you're getting tired too." She said softly.

"That doesn't matter, we are relaxing a lot more than we ever do now anyway, so it's fine." He said softly and she sighed.

"Val said we should think about discussing the birth plan together before we talk it over with her, shall we do that now seeing as we're doing nothing?" She asked softly and Horatio nodded. Zoë then pulled the iPad over to her and created a new document as Horatio sat back up, he felt very contented and very relaxed.

"What do we need to discuss again?" She asked warmly.

"How would you like to give birth? Natural, water birth, caesarean." Horatio said softly as he put an arm around her shoulders and looked down to the screen.

"Definitely natural" she said as she wrote it down while Horatio watched.

"What about painkiller with the natural birth? She said you can have an epidural, mild painkillers and gas and air. She did advise you take the epidural with your birth as we're having twins and because of your heart." He said softly.

"None, I don't want anything." She said softly as she looked at him and shook her head.

"I'd personally like you to have the epidural sweetheart, Val does too, I'm pretty sure she'll speak to us in more detail about it, but it's definitely better if you do have it." Horatio said warmly.

"I don't want anything." She said stubbornly and then studied Horatio's slightly firm expression.

"Fine, I'll think about it." She grumbled. "I know it will hurt a lot… I will probably definitely have gas and air… gas and air is good." She said softly and Horatio nodded, somewhat relieved. '_At least I won't have to see her in an exceptional amount of pain that way? I hope not anyway.'_ Horatio thought to himself as she typed it up on the iPad.

"Who would you like present at the birth? This is entirely your choice, obviously the medical team has to be there." Horatio said softly as he lightly began to rub her thigh.

"You obviously, I don't think I want anyone else there." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you don't want anyone else there for support like Alexx, Joe or perhaps even Kaitlin?" Horatio asked softly and she looked round to him and began to think as she looked into his eyes.

"I definitely do not want Joe there, I don't want anyone there really, I don't know… I don't want Kaitlin there because she will pass out and cause more chaos… I'd rather go through it all with just you by my side." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile.

"Are we private?" Horatio asked.

"Do you even have to ask that question? Of course we're private." She smiled and he nodded.

"You want to breastfeed, don't you? That needs to be specified." Horatio said softly and she nodded and then wrote it down.

"I also want them with me… I don't want them taken to a separate room when they're born." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Don't forget that there is a chance that they may have to be taken to the special baby care unit if they're born too early as twins generally come before single births and they tend to be slightly smaller, so sometimes require help with breathing and things. But they will try and keep you together." Horatio said softly and she nodded and then pressed her lips together and blinked at him a few times. '_What have I said?'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"Are you going to stay with us the whole time?" She asked quietly and he nodded confidently.

"If that's what you want sweetheart then of course, but I understand that you may want your own space and you may need a lot of rest." Horatio said softly as he raised his hand that he had around her shoulders and began to play with her hair. '_Oh I said 'will try and keep you together'.'_ Horatio thought to himself which made him realise why she'd asked the question.

"You know I'll need you there whether I need space and rest, there is no way I could deal with being in hospital on my own with our babies, I would have a breakdown." She said softly and he nodded.

"Okay sweetheart." He said softly and Zoë smiled at him. She then wrote down that Horatio is not to be asked to leave at any point. They finished the birth plan and then relaxed before getting something else to eat.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Was our victim raped, Alexx?" Eric asked and she nodded while they were in autopsy having been out earlier that morning at another call out.

"His bloods show that he ingested Viagra about 30 minutes prior to his death, he was raped twice, I've taken swabs of his genital areas to see if there is any evidence of a female participating." She said as she gave Eric the swab as he nodded with a sigh as he looked down to the young male in front of him.

"Thank you Alexx, can you give me anymore?" Eric asked as he looked back up at her with a sympathetic yet determined expression.

"Everything else seems to be the same, the way he was stabbed is the same, I still stand by two killers, there's two different cutting patterns, if you take a look, the majority of them are deep, rough, strong and from above, this one across his abdomen was a lot lighter and the cut seems to be a lot cleaner, suggesting a sharper knife was used. I think that cut was made by a woman, probably a partner." She said as she showed Eric the wounds on the young male. "Please tell me you have got something on these psychos? This has gone on for well over a month and they're still on the loose. These victims are getting younger and younger… I don't want to be seeing teenagers on this table from these killers." Alexx said as she shook her head and placed a hand on her hip, Eric could see that she needed an answer.

"We really are trying our best Alexx, but we are not getting anything, there is never any prints, there is never any fibres, no DNA, nothing. These killings are not done by amateurs. They will slip up at some point and we'll pick up on that slip up. H always said that we had to be patient, that's what we need to be, patient." Eric said and Alexx nodded.

"What about the victims, have you found anything to connect them?" Alexx asked with a mild frown as she tilted her head.

"No, we've ran them through every database we could, this victim attended the same high school as our last victim, but they were years apart, it is more than likely a coincidence, but there is nothing connecting our other victims." Eric sighed as he shook his head and shrugged.

"Why is this case taking you so long?" Alexx asked curiously.

"I don't know Alexx… I don't know if it's me, I don't know if I'm not leading the team properly, I don't know if it's just the killers, I don't know if they're watching what they're doing and being extremely careful. They seem to know what they're doing and seem to have it planned out." Eric sighed as he shook his head. Alexx could see his self-confidence wavering.

"It's not you Eric, you're a great leader and CSI." Alexx assured him as she stood up straight and looked at him reassuringly.

"This case would have been solved if H and Zoë were on the team though, I can't help but think that we need them back, how are we going to cope with the up and coming months? I've realised we've relied on Zoë too much, we've relied on the connections she's able to make while the rest of us remain clueless until she spells it out for us, the same with H, we've lost our best CSI's. Now we don't have Zoë to do nearly everything, we're struggling and I mean really struggling. She did absolutely everything, I never realised how much she did. Having to go back to how things were before she was here is difficult. I feel bad for relying on her so much now. H just somehow has everything done too, they're both like genies or something." Eric said and Alexx nodded with a small smile.

"Perhaps you need to take a step back from the case and try looking at it from a different angle. They are both exceptionally open-minded, I guess that's what you need, try and do it how they do it. Don't rule out the simple explanations, or the ridiculous ones, work with everything." Alexx said softly and Eric nodded.

"It's a good idea I suppose, but none of us can compete with Zoë's level of intelligence and general excellence, or Horatio's for that matter, they're both the same. She's the perfect CSI, Horatio's the perfect leader and CSI." He said as he looked down and sighed again.

"I think you'll find that Zoë often goes on gut instinct and whatever pops into her head, try it. She is very intelligent, but if you go and ask her, she'll say that a lot of her connections are made on gut instinct and her open mindedness, it's her imagination that gives her that extra special something. She once mentioned that she put's herself in the killers shoes and goes from there. She then uses that and matches it to the suspects profile, which I understand you don't have, but try putting yourself in the killers shoes. It's all I can suggest." Alexx said softly.

"That's the thing, we don't have her imagination, even if we all combined our small imaginations together, it wouldn't equal half of what she's got. I can't imagine putting myself in a killers shoes, I wouldn't know what to do." Eric said softly as he looked back down.

"If you're really struggling that much, then ask her… ask Horatio too. Ask her to look over the profiles from home. As long as she's physically resting she'll be fine." Alexx said softly.

"Yes, but H doesn't want her working which I understand fully." Eric said softly as he looked back up at Alexx.

"He said that when you and Zoë were talking about work at a scene, he knew that Zoë would want to take a look. He won't mind it if you ask her to look at something while she rests, he'll probably take a look at it too. Tell him you're struggling, he might be able to put more into place for you." Alexx said softly and Eric nodded.

"Thank you Alexx." He said before he walked out and pulled his phone out as he walked and rang Horatio.

"Hey H, it's Eric." Eric said as Horatio picked up.

"Eric, is everything okay?" Horatio questioned.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, are you free?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm free, would you like me to come in briefly?" Horatio questioned.

"That's not necessary, but I'd like to mention that we're really struggling with this case, we have nothing. All we've been able to deduce is that there are two killers working together, more than likely a man and a woman. The victims have no connections at all, apart from our last two who attended the same high school, but were years apart and probably didn't know each other. There's been no prints, no DNA, nothing. It's been a month and so many victims now and I'm not sure what to do." Eric said softly and Horatio could hear the slight panic in Eric's voice.

"Take a deep breath, Eric. You won't solve anything if you're too stressed." Horatio said softly.

"I'm starting to think that it's me, I'm not sure if I'm leading the team well, I don't know if I'm guiding them in the right directions or if I'm making the right decisions." Eric admitted to his boss and Horatio picked up on his self-confidence issues that were starting to develop.

"You're doing fine Eric, I know you're a great leader, I know you can handle this, if you couldn't I would have given someone else the job." Horatio assured him.

"I was wondering if I could send the profiles to you and Zoë, just to look over. If we're to find these killers, we need a connection between the victims. If you and Zoë can't find anything then we will know that these killings are spur of the moment so we can start looking elsewhere." Eric said softly.

"That's fine, send them to my email, but we will not be in to help with the search." Horatio said softly.

"That's fine, I do not expect either of you to come in, I don't want you to, I mean that in a nice way by the way. I just need your experience, brilliance and gut instinct." He said softly.

"Okay Eric, that's fine, just send them over and we'll take a look. We're not doing anything now so we can get straight on it. She'll love that she has something to do anyway." Horatio said softly.

"How's she taking the bed rest orders from her midwife?" Eric asked softly.

"Well, you know Zoë… but she is resting a lot more, so I'm grateful for that. It isn't strict bed rest, so she's using that as an excuse to get up and do a few things. I can't blame her though, we are finding ourselves getting a little bored, especially as we've watched every single film on our DVD collection more than once." Horatio said softly and then listened to the light chuckle from Eric.

"Okay, thank you H." Eric said softly.

"No problem, give me a ring if there's anything else." Horatio said softly.

"Will do, thanks." Eric said before they hung up. Eric immediately sent them the files on every victim. '_I can't believe that is 9 victims now, I know I could have done something to stop this from happening, I know if H and Zoë were here the killers would be locked up by now.'_ Eric said to himself. He got a call an hour before his shift ended.

"Hey sweetie it's Zoë." She said softly.

"Hi Zoë, I'm really sorry to bother you with the case." He apologised.

"Don't worry, it's kept me occupied, so I'm grateful, thank you!" She said softly and he could hear the bounce in her words. "Anyway, I've got something, I'll send it over to you. All victims attended a martial arts class, having spoken to their sensei, they were all beginners with very little experience and skill. I've got all the information you'd need here, I'm sending it over now." Zoë said softly.

"Thank you Zoë, you are a life saver, honestly." Eric said as she exhaled and logged onto the computer.

"No problem sweetie, it did take some digging. I've just sent you everything I have." She said warmly.

"Thank you so much Zoë, you really are amazing." He said softly with a smile.

"It wasn't all me, Horatio had a lot of input too. But thank you. I hope this has helped." She said softly.

"It really has thank you, we've been stuck and more bodies keep turning up, you've just got the case going again." He said softly.

"You're doing a great job Eric, keep it up." She said sweetly.

"Thank you Zoë, but no-one can do the job as well as H." He said shyly.

"You're coming close, definitely better than what anyone else could do anyway!" She said softly as he opened his emails.

"Thank you Zo, how are you doing anyway?" Eric asked softly as he opened the documents that Zoë had sent him.

"I'm good thank you, everything is going really well. I've got my next check-up in two weeks that involves lots of tests and things, but we'll be fine. We're feeling really good and can't wait to have them in our arms so soon." She smiled and he chuckled.

"That's great." Eric said softly.

"How are you?" She asked softly.

"I'm good thank you, toddling along as usual." He said softly.

"That's good sweetie, anyway I must go as I'm hungry. Call if you need anything else and don't forget that you're coming over for dinner tomorrow." She said softly.

"I've not forgotten." He said softly.

"Great, we'll see you tomorrow then sweetie." She smiled.

"See you tomorrow." He replied and then hung up as she did. He got on with looking through the documents Zoë had sent him and the web-pages she'd used and saved to send to him. '_She really is a life-saver.'_ Eric thought to himself. '_I wonder why her imagination is so great? I know she thinks up some wacky things when she's bored or when she's stressed, it's why she can overreact so much sometimes, isn't it? She'll be a fantastic mother for that alone, their children will have a mother with an imagination as good as their own. H has got quite a good imagination too, they'll do a fantastic job at being parents. Better than I can ever be, how can I just throw myself into fatherhood? What if I don't bond with Tyler? What if he doesn't like me? What if I can't be the father figure he needs me to be? I don't have the patience to sit down and play games, it's not me, that's never been me, whereas H has all the time in the world, he's so good with children who are victims or those who've been affected by crime, I'm useless with children. Perhaps I can learn from him? Perhaps he can give me some tips? He and Zoë are the only ones who know I have a son. When should I tell everyone else? How can I tell everyone that I have a son that is nearly two years old, they'll all blame Calleigh, they can't blame her. It's both of our faults, I should have checked that she got the morning after pill, it takes two to tango after all. They'll blame Calleigh for keeping me out of Tyler's life, won't they? I will defend her, I do understand even if I don't think it was the right thing to do.'_ Eric thought to himself and then snapped himself out of it when he needed to get on with the work.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Two weeks later, the team were not any closer to solving the case, there were so many suspects they had now that they knew there was such a diverse connection between the victims.

Horatio brought Zoë a cup of herbal tea to her as she sat up in bed watching a film.

"Thank you Kitten." She said as she took it from him with a sweet smile.

"I can't believe Val has put me on stricter bed rest… 6 hours a day bed rest is ridiculous, that's half the day gone." She said softly as Horatio walked around and sat on the bed himself.

"I know sweetheart, but it's for your own good. You need the rest, your heart is under quite a bit of stress right now, you are 28 weeks pregnant. Your cramps are also getting worse so resting more is better for you." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she sipped the tea.

"That's gorgeous, thank you." She said softly as she put it down and then shuffled down the bed. "I need another pee, I'll be back." She said as she slowly got up. "I feel so heavy, you wouldn't believe it." She said as she slowly stood on her feet and placed both hands on her belly.

"I can't imagine sweetheart, if I could take the weight off you, I would." He said softly and she nodded.

"It'll all be worth it though." She said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile, she then kicked the door too and went to the loo. She came back and slowly sat back down on the bed.

"We need to go and get nappies and things very soon." She said softly and Horatio nodded as he sipped his drink.

"We'll do it tomorrow if you're up to it?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she moved back and leant against the head board and picked up her tea again.

"I hate that I can't feel them moving so much anymore." Zoë said as she rubbed her belly and looked over to him.

"It's normal sweetheart; it's getting a bit of a tight squeeze in there, so they can't move around as much. They are still kicking, I can see them or one of them moving right now." Horatio said softly as he looked down to her belly and saw a movement and she nodded.

"I'm worried that I won't pick up on whether they've stopped moving all together though." Zoë said as she panicked a little and followed the movement with her hand.

"You will sweetheart, that's why you lay down and feel their movements every day." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I'm 28 weeks and as large as someone would be when 35 weeks or something." She said as she removed her hand from her belly and placed it over his thigh.

"We should tell Alexx and Joe that they're the Godparents soon, shouldn't we?" She asked and Horatio nodded as he placed his hand over hers on his thigh.

"How about we do it when we next see them?" Horatio asked and she nodded.

"That would be great." She beamed and he smiled back while she took a sip of the tea.

"It's not long to go now, we could have them in our arms in 9 weeks, Val did say she expects you to give birth around your 37th week." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she looked back to him.

"I can't wait to have them here." Zoë said brightly with a radiant smile appearing and Horatio nodded in agreement as a bright smile also crossed his face.

"Would you like me to moisturise your legs now, or are you going to wait until later after your shower?" He asked softly as he stopped rubbing her legs and looked up at her.

"Later thank you Kitten, I moisturised about 4 hours ago when I had a shower then." She said softly and he nodded with a gentle smile. '_He always wants to do something for me, he's so sweet... He's the best husband anyone could ever want. Where did I find him?'_ She thought to herself with a bright dreamy smile while her eyes poured with love as she looked at him. She could see that he was itching to do something though. "I wouldn't mind a tummy massage with moisturiser though." She smiled sweetly and he nodded with his bright smile returning. He got up and picked up the moisturiser and rubbed it into his hands and sat beside her as she pulled her top up. '_Bless him, I'd be the same if I were him and he were me though. This way he'll also feel them moving about as they're quite active at the moment.'_ She thought to herself with a smile. He placed his hands on her belly with a smile and began to rub it into her skin as he admired her belly and saw a few movements.

"Don't you think I've ballooned since 2 weeks ago?" She asked and he nodded as he looked back up at her with radiant eyes.

"They're in their rapid fat developing stages and growing still." He said softly and she nodded as she smiled at him.

"I just want them to be here now, I'm starting to get quite uncomfortable, apparently that only gets worse." She said softly as she reached down and placed one of her hands on his thigh with a gentle expression.

"It's not going to be easy sweetheart, but I'm here to try and lessen the load on you and do what I can to make you more comfortable." He said softly and she nodded with a smile but he saw something in her eyes that made him feel slightly uneasy. He then saw her burst into tears as she covered her face with one of her arms. "Oh sweetheart," Horatio said softly as he pulled her top down and moved up to sit closer to her. He placed one hand on her belly while he began to lightly stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I know it's difficult, I know I don't understand what you're going through, but you're doing so well, I'm so proud of you." Horatio said softly.

"I'm not sure why I'm crying, Horatio." She said softly as she began to rub his thigh with the hand that was still there.

"You're probably stressed sweetheart… your body is under a lot of physical stress too." He said softly as he continued to lightly stroke her cheek.

"I feel like a whale." She cried and Horatio began to rub her stomach too.

"You're not a whale; you've got our two daughters in your tummy… that is a beautiful thing, Zoë. You're helping to sustain their lives, your body is giving them life, to me that feels magical, it must feel exceptionally magical to have that happening inside your tummy?" He asked softly and she nodded.

"It really does." She said quietly as she removed her arm from her eyes and looked up at him while she swallowed and blinked rapidly.

"I'm so proud of you Zoë, I really am." He said as he lent down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You are?" She asked as she began to wipe her eyes and he nodded with affection pouring from his eyes.

"I really am." He said with a reassuring smile. She then gave him a smile back and then placed her hand in his hair and gently pulled him down to place a kiss on his lips.

"You're not going to leave me after I give birth are you? You're not going to take them from me and leave, are you?" She asked once they broke from the kiss with their lips inches from each other.

"No Zoë, you know I'd never do that. I will never leave you." Horatio said softly as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"You're not just using me to have two daughters?" She asked quietly.

"No sweetheart, not at all. Where are you getting this from? Have you had another dream?" He asked and she nodded as she started to cry a little more again.

"I had a dream that I gave birth and you were supportive up until they came out. You then left with the girls while I was resting and I found out that you had just left me and used me for children." She cried. He quickly pulled back a little and began to stroke her cheeks with the backs of his fingers. She swallowed when she looked up at him and saw the affection in his eyes.

"No Zoë, that will never happen, I promise you. You're my wife, you are and always will be the love of my life. You 3 are the most precious things in my life and I'd never leave you. I will _always_ be there for you." He said softly and she nodded as she swallowed as she nodded up at him and then reached up to run a hand through his floppy hair.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't let the dreams get to me, but sometimes they feel so real." She said softly and Horatio nodded while he allowed his eyes to connect with hers as he knew she was drinking up his affection.

"I know sweetheart, I know they can seem so real. I understand, I do." Horatio said softly and she nodded and then kissed him again after she gently pulled him closer.

"I'm so sorry; I shouldn't be taking any of this out on you." She apologised as he wiped her tears while he stayed low and kept his face close to hers to look into her eyes with love.

"No, you take what you want out on me; I'm here to go through this all with you. If it helps you to de-stress or whatever, you do what you want. Anyway, I want you to talk to me about these dreams; I want you to talk to me about anything." Horatio said softly as he ran a hand through her silky hair and tilted his head as he kissed the corner of her lips before pulling his head away again and looking into her eyes once more while she swallowed. "I understand that these dreams can cause doubt, so I want you to talk to me. I know you need reassurance, that's what I'll give you, even if I have to say the same thing over and over. I will never leave you Zoë, I love you so much and I will ever only love you and our children." He said softly and she gave him a small smile as she blinked a few times. She raised her hands and placed her palms against his cheeks.

"I really am so lucky to have you, you are the most incredible man ever, I know I'm yours forever." She said softly as she ran her thumbs over his cheek bones.

"And I'm yours for ever." Horatio said before he kissed her again.

XXXXXXXX

They went out to the supermarket the next day and picked up everything from 8 bottles of baby lotion, to 10 bags of nappies, including many bottles of soap designed for babies sensitive skin and shampoo. They even got more clothes. They returned home and put everything away just as Zoë got a call from Joe.

"Hey sweetie" she said softly as she sat on the bed in one of the guestrooms and began filling the set of draws in there with baby clothes. Both chest of draws had been filled in the other room as well as the wardrobe and closet, although the closet was mainly filled with other things. She couldn't believe how many clothes they had, but they did have clothes to see them both through up until the age of 1.

"Hey darling, are you in?" He asked softly.

"Yeah." She replied as she smiled and held a red and white flowery baby dress up in front of her and admired it.

"May I come over?" He asked softly.

"Of course Bunny, you don't have to ask." She said softly as she looked at the outfits in the draws with a wide smile still pulling her lips from ear to ear.

"Okay, I'll be over in 5, I'll see you then." He said brightly.

"See you then." She smiled as she hung up and placed her phone down on the bed.

"Joe is coming over, Kitten." Zoë called down the hall to Horatio who was just walking out of their bedroom. He walked up the hall and leant against the doorframe with a tender smile as he admired her putting the baby clothes away.

"Okay sweetheart, is he staying for dinner?" Horatio asked warmly.

"Probably, we can make enough for him and if he doesn't I'll eat it another time anyway." She smiled and he nodded with a smile.

"Still up for steak and vegetables?" He asked and she nodded with a wide smile, she could already feel her tastebuds tingling.

"Can we have some chips with that as well?" She asked and he nodded.

"Of course" he smiled and she smiled back. He then walked down to start the dinner and answered the door to Joe when he knocked. Horatio saw that he had his hands filled with bags. He raised his eyebrows and stepped back to allow Joe to enter.

"Evening Joe." Horatio greeted softly as he closed the door after Joe was in. Joe turned and gave Horatio his charming bright smile with a nod.

"Evening Horatio, I'd shake your hand but it's a little difficult at the moment." He said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile himself and a light chuckle.

"Zoë's upstairs." Horatio said softly and then followed Joe up after Joe nodded and thanked him. He was curious as to what was in the bags himself.

"What room?" Joe asked as he glanced back to Horatio who was behind him.

"End guestroom on the left." Horatio replied and Joe walked down and then walked into the bedroom.

"Hey!" Zoë beamed as she got up and then saw the bags in his hands. She quickly hugged him and then released him so he could put them down on the bed.

"What is all of this?" She asked softly with a wide smile as she looked back to the bags that were sprawled all over the bed.

"I've been meaning to bring it all over for some time now, I just haven't got round to it. It's just a little something for the both of you and your girls. Well, it started out at as a little something, then it escalated." He replied softly and then shook Horatio's hand while they both gave each other a nod.

"What? Joe there's like 13 bags here." She said as she looked back up at him and furrowed her brow with a smile.

"I got carried away." He replied softly as he shrugged and looked down to the bags himself.

"Oh Joe, you shouldn't have, thank you so much." She said as she hugged him again and then sat down as she held her stomach. She opened the first bag and pulled out a handful of folded clothes.

"Joe, these are beautiful, thank you so much. I didn't know you knew what to get for baby girls!" She smiled at him as she looked at each individual item of clothing. She folded them and put them on the side and opened another bag to pull out more clothes. "Joe! I'm going to slap you!" She smiled at him playfully as she looked at more clothes while Horatio continued to grin as he could see that Zoë was absolutely ecstatic, as was Joe.

"As I say, I couldn't help myself. I wasn't sure what you exactly liked so I got most of everything that was pink as I know you love pink." He smiled and she chuckled at him with a bright smile and looked at the dresses, the baby grows and the vests. '_He's got me more than I had expected, he's so bad.'_ Zoë thought to herself with a small chuckle.

"They're going to look so cute in these." Zoë said softly.

"They're not all for new-borns either, a lot of the clothes are for them as they get older as I assumed you already had enough new born clothes for every baby in Miami." He replied and she chuckled as she looked back to him.

"I think Horatio's said that before." She smiled and both chuckled as Horatio walked over and sat by Zoë while he placed his hand on her lower back. "These are perfect Joe, I'm actually just filling up the 6-9 months, 9-12 months and everything now, we're having to use these draws as they've got so much clothes already!" She grinned and he chuckled. She opened another bag that was full with toys and teddies. She lightly bit her lip and checked them all out with a wide smile. "They've even got a Winnie the Pooh teddy each!" She beamed as she looked at all of the teddies. She looked through the rest of the bags that contained more clothes, teddies, toys and books until she pulled out a pink box and tilted her head as she frowned. '_What's this?'_ She thought to herself.

"That's a keepsafe box, it's where you can store a few things from when they're first born, like the first pair of socks they wore, the first picture etc., there's two of them. I would have had their names engraved on them, but you've yet to reveal that. So the receipt is in both so you can take it back and get them engraved." Joe said softly with his charming smile.

"This is all so wonderful, thank you so much Joe." She said as she began to cry again as she got up after she put the box on the bed and then hugged him again. He began to rub her back as he placed his chin against the side of her head and smiled down at the bed after looking at Horatio while he smiled at Zoë before he also checked out the clothes she'd placed on the side of the bed. "Thank you so much for this Joe, we really appreciate it." She mumbled into his chest as she rubbed his back.

"It's all my pleasure, darling." He said softly as he rubbed her back more. "There's also something in there for the both of you." He said softly as he pointed to the last bag. She pulled away and walked back over to the bed as she wiped her eyes and pulled out two small jewellery cardboard bags. She frowned a little as she looked back to Joe.

"The blue one is Horatio's." He said softly and Zoë smiled as she handed Horatio the bag. She opened the red bag and pulled out a box, she glanced up at him and he encouraged her to go on. She looked back down to the box as she put the bag down and opened the box to see a silver bracelet with 4 flat hearts on, she saw the first had Horatio's name engraved on it, the second with Maya's name engraved on it, and the next two blank, ready for the twins names. She immediately burst into tears as she brought the bracelet towards her chest while she covered her eyes with her other hand.

"You can have the other two hearts engraved when you want." He said softly before he pressed his lips together and felt the emotion emanate from her. She covered her eyes with her right arm as she held the bracelet in her left hand and looked down. Joe swallowed and began to worry that he'd really upset her while Horatio began to lightly rub her back.

"Thank you so much." She cried as she tried drying her tears after a few moments as she sat back down on the bed. She looked up at him while tears continued to cascade down her cheeks and he could see that he hadn't upset her, he saw that she was overwhelmed with happiness and joy as well as a heart-warming feeling. "Thank you Joe, that really means so much to me." She sobbed as she looked down at the bracelet and ran her thumbs over the two hearts that had names engraved on them. She then looked up at Horatio and handed it to him so he could look. Horatio looked up at Joe and gave him a nod as he handed the bracelet back to Zoë after she'd managed to compose herself. He then opened his bag and then looked up at Joe again.

"You didn't have to do this, Joe." He said softly with a gentle smile.

"I wanted to, it's the least I could do, Horatio." He said softly as Horatio looked back down and pulled out a black box himself and then opened it to see two plain cuff-links. "I didn't want to get anything engraved on them as I didn't know what you wanted, whether you wanted Zoë's name on one and the initials of Maya and the twins, or if you wanted Zoë's initial and the girls initials, two on each cuff link or if you wanted Zoë's initial on one and the 3 girls on the other. It's up to you, but they're ready to engrave it for you." Joe explained softly as Zoë began to cry again as she leant over to Horatio and hugged him tightly while she held the bracelet in her hand. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Thank you Joe, it does mean a lot to us." Horatio said softly as he looked over to Joe who gave him a smile.

"You're both very welcome." He said softly and Horatio gave him a smile and a nod and then began to rub Zoë's back as he kissed the top of her head. She pulled back from Horatio and wiped her eyes again as she looked up at Joe.

"I had a feeling you'd got them hundreds of clothes, but I didn't see this coming at all. Thank you so much." She said quietly as she looked down at the bracelet again. She lightly bit her lip before she looked back up at him. "I think now is a good time to let you know that we'd love for you to be their Godfather, even though you probably already knew that." She smiled softly as she got up and hugged him again. He felt a warm feeling explode from within, he felt overwhelmed himself that she'd asked him to be their Godfather.

"Thank you both so much. That means a lot to me, it really does." Joe said softly as he rubbed Zoë's back and looked over to Horatio with a very appreciative nod.

"Great my make-up is probably ruined now." She smiled as she sat back down and wiped her eyes as she smiled down at the bracelet again. She then looked up at Horatio with a gentle smile, but he could still see the overwhelming emotion floating about in her eyes. "We're going to have to think of names really soon now then." She smiled and Horatio nodded as he rubbed her back again with his secret smile. She took a deep breath and then looked back over to Joe with a gentle smile as she took hold of Horatio's hand. "Are you staying for dinner Bunny?" She asked softly as she continued to compose herself.

"I don't want to intrude, darling, but thank you." He said softly.

"Stay please, we'd love it." She said softly and he nodded with a smile after looking to Horatio who also nodded at him, urging him to agree.

"Thank you." He said warmly.

"Would you like a tea?" Horatio asked softly as he stood and walked over to them and placed his hand on Zoë's lower back.

"Please." She said softly as she looked back to him and he nodded with a smile.

"A coffee would be great, thank you Horatio." Joe said softly when Horatio looked at him. Horatio nodded and held the little black box in his hand.

"Thank you again for these, I'll have them engraved as soon as we choose their names." Horatio said softly and Joe nodded. They shook hands again and Horatio walked out. He placed the box safely on the chest of draws in their room before heading down to make the drinks.

"Thank you again Joe, Horatio is really happy with them, I can see it in his eyes." Zoë said softly and he nodded with a smile as he looked down while Zoë stepped back and placed the bracelet back in its box ready to be engraved.

"I didn't step too far with putting Maya's name on it did I?" Joe asked softly and Zoë shook her head confidently as she looked back up at him.

"She's still our little girl too, she's just not on this Earth, I'm really glad you put her name on it. It's what makes it so special. You're so thoughtful Joe, I'm so glad I've got you and Horatio in my life." Zoë said softly and Joe nodded with a small shy smile.

"I'll see you downstairs, darling, are you okay up here on your own?" He asked and she nodded as she swiped away another tear.

"Thank you again Bunny, you really have made my evening and you've made Horatio's too." She said as she hugged him again.

"You've made mine too." He smiled sweetly as they broke from the hug.

"You knew you were going to be their Godfather." She smiled sweetly back as she backed off and sat herself down on the bed as she began to rub her belly.

"Not necessarily, you may not have chosen Godparents, or you may have chosen Eric." He said softly.

"No, you knew, I know you knew. Although, we did consider Eric, I wanted you both to be Godfathers and Alexx the Godmother, but that can't happen. I did know that you'd always be their Godfather though and Horatio agrees, he wanted you to be the Godfather too. I only properly considered Eric because Horatio is closer to him, but I am so glad we chose you, I think at the back of my head I knew it would have been you all along, I knew Horatio also liked you to be their Godfather over Eric." She smiled and he chuckled with a gentle smile.

"I thought at the beginning that I was, but you never said anything, so I thought that you weren't going to have Godparents." He said softly and she smiled gently.

"We didn't want to reveal too early." She said softly and he nodded in understanding.

"Do you have names in mind? For future reference if I ever see anything… you know." He said softly as he gave her a cheeky smile, hoping he'd get it out of her.

"We don't know yet; we really haven't thought of names, we will let you know when we decide though." She said softly and he nodded. "I'll see you down there, I'm going to sort these things out and I'll be right down." She said softly and he nodded. He gave her forehead a quick kiss and then walked out to talk with Horatio in the kitchen. Zoë finished putting the clothes away and put the clothes that Joe had got away and also sorted the teddies, toys and books out in the nursery room. She then went downstairs to be greeted with her herbal tea at the island counter. She sat on it with a smile as she rubbed her belly while she joined in on their conversation.

XXXXXXXX

A few days later, Nathan and Alexx had come round in the evening to keep Zoë occupied as they knew she was getting bored.

"Board games are a great way to pass the time Zoë, do you have any or would you like me to drop some by?" Alexx asked softly as they sat at the island counter and held her mug of coffee in her hands.

"I've got plenty of them in the study, I just completely forgot about them until now." She said before she sipped her tea and a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Would you like a game now?" Nathan asked and she nodded enthusiastically as her eyes lit up brightly.

"Is that a good idea?" Horatio asked and she grinned wildly and nodded, he could see her competitive side firing up straight away.

"Monopoly?" She asked and both Nathan and Alexx nodded with smiles. "Fantastic!" She beamed again and then got up and walked into the study.

"Just to warn you both, she does get extremely competitive…" Horatio said quietly and they looked to him.

"How competitive?" Alexx asked and he could see Nathan asking the same thing.

"You've seen her Nathan when Joe and I played chess, double that competitive… she's also a very bad loser." Horatio said quietly as he lifted the coffee to his lips.

"I had guessed the bad loser part." Nathan smiled softly and quietly and Horatio nodded with his secret smile. '_This could be very entertaining or very messy…'_ Horatio thought to himself as they all then smiled sweetly at her as she walked back in. She immediately suspected something when Alexx and Nathan looked at her as sweetly as they could.

"Horatio's just warned you both, hasn't he?" She asked and they nodded with guilty smiles which caused her to lightly chuckle. "I'm not _that_ bad." She said as she looked from them to Horatio with a wide, cheeky grin.

"Baby, that smile suggests you know it's that bad." Alexx smiled at her and Zoë giggled as she sat back down.

"It will be fine, I just may not let either of you leave the house until I win." She smiled and they raised their eyebrows, unsure if she was joking or not. She sipped her orange juice and then smiled more at them when she could see that they weren't sure whether to believe her or not.

"I'm not sure if I'm joking either." Zoë smiled and then put the box on the counter as Horatio sat back down next to her after getting both Alexx and Nathan another drink.

"I guess there's worse places to be held captive…" Nathan said softly and she chuckled as she began to set the board up.

"What's worse than being trapped in a house with a pregnant, hormonal bitch?" Zoë asked sweetly and he chuckled as she'd said it so sweetly and with a straight face.

"Actually, your hormones are very good at the moment according to Val, and you're most definitely not a bitch, just yet anyway, that stage will probably return in a few weeks though." Nathan smiled cheekily as he winked at her which caused her to laugh.

"Cheeky sod… Alexx give him a slap please." Zoë grinned at them as she sorted the money out. Both Horatio and Alexx lightly giggled themselves as Alexx swatted Nathan's arm for Zoë.

"Thank you Alexx." Zoë grinned as she handed everyone their money. "I'd hate to think that our daughters will be as competitive as me, imagine trying to play games when they get older… it'll be a constant battle between me and them." Zoë grinned softly and they chuckled as Horatio began to rub her back.

"You'll find that competitive streak disappears when it comes to your babies." Alexx said softly.

"Really?" Zoë asked and Alexx nodded with confidence.

"Oh thank God." Zoë smiled softly with a relieved sigh as they all picked their counters. They managed to have a pleasant game without Zoë getting too competitive, there were points where Horatio had to remind her to calm down, but she was generally very good. Once they left, Zoë had a bath and then climbed into bed with Horatio.

"It's weird sleeping on your side." She said softly as she began to lightly bite her lip again.

"It's weird sleeping on your side, but it also feels good as I get to face you, instead of your back as you like to lie on your left side." He smiled and she giggled as she nodded and ran her hand through his hair.

"Can we discuss names now?" She asked softly and Horatio nodded with a smile as he moved onto his side and moved closer to her.

* * *

**Just wanted to let my readers know that this story is main family orientated between Horatio and Zoe as it's been requested by a couple of frequent readers. There isn't much action going on, I am aware, it's like a catch 22, I can't please everyone, but I hope that the majority of you will put up with it. I'm trying to get through this story quickly so I can get back to more action packed stories. Thank you! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Do you have any that you like?" She asked him softly as he placed his head down on her pillow and smiled at her softly.

"Do you?" He asked warmly with his charming smile just as he began to rub her back.

"I asked you first." She grinned at him before she gave him a quick kiss. His smile widened as he looked down to her wide smile.

"You tell me first." Horatio said gently.

"No, you tell me first, I want to hear the names you like." Zoë said softly and he sighed as he looked back into her eyes. "Don't be embarrassed, just tell me." Zoë grinned as she played with his hair and began to bite her lip as she looked up at his radiant red-hair.

"Please tell me yours first?" Horatio asked softly, Zoë sighed and dropped her eyes back down to his.

"No, because you'll agree with them straight off. I want to hear yours; your opinion is just as valid as mine. I know you've got some names in mind." She said softly. He sighed and pressed his lips into a line as he thought about it. She smiled again when she saw him thinking.

"Well, I was thinking…" He said but paused and looked at her. '_Why is he embarrassed about talking about baby names with me? Is he afraid that I won't like them?'_ Zoë thought to herself.

"Go on Kitten." She encouraged him.

"I quite like the name Ella and the name Amelia." He said quietly as he looked into her eyes.

"Ella and Amelia?" Zoë asked softly and he nodded. "I like them too, I actually really like Ella actually." She said softly and then watched a brighter smile appear on his face.

"What were your thoughts?" Horatio asked and then felt a kick against his stomach where her belly was touching his.

"I thought Isobel, Chloe or Madison." Zoë said softly as she looked up at Horatio and bit her lip.

"Ray's daughter is called Madison, but I really like the name Isobel and Chloe for that matter." Horatio said softly as he began to run his fingers over her side delicately.

"Right, so we've got 4 names then; Ella, Amelia, Isobel and Chloe." She said softly and he nodded.

"What two are your favourite, and be honest." She said softly and Horatio thought about it as he steadily exhaled.

"I can't choose between Ella, Isobel and Chloe." Horatio said softly as he smiled at her and then felt another kick against his stomach.

"Are you sure you want to rule out Amelia?" She asked and he nodded.

"Okay, I agree, even though it is a beautiful name." She said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile. "But I really like Ella, I _really_ like Ella." She said softly and Horatio smiled brightly as he moved his head closer to her and began to nuzzle the tip of her nose with his.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"Really, I think it's a wonderful name and I think it will suit one of our daughters very well." She said softly as she watched a wider smile appear across Horatio's face as his eyes lit up like a beacon.

"So…" Horatio said softly as he began to rub her side with his hand.

"So Ella is a definite?" Zoë asked softly and he nodded with a smile in complete agreement.

"Only if you're sure though." Horatio said softly as he began to search her eyes to make sure she was actually happy with it.

"Definitely, I really like it, Ella-Louise, perhaps?" Zoë asked softly and he nodded.

"Ella-Louise Caine is a beautiful name." Horatio said softly as he moved his hand to her belly as he moved away slightly so he could feel the movement of the babies.

"Okay, what name out of Isobel and Chloe do you prefer?" Zoë asked softly as she placed her hand against his chest.

"You tell me first, I am swinging towards one name." Horatio said softly.

"Please tell me." Zoë smiled.

"I promise to tell you the one I prefer after hearing your preference." Horatio smiled back.

"Okay…" She said as she bit her lip and continued to smile at him. "I prefer Isobel." She said softly and Horatio smiled as he nodded.

"I do too." Horatio smiled softly and her grin widened. "I was actually thinking of the name Isobel instead of the name Amelia, but I didn't think you'd like the name at all." Horatio admitted softly.

"I love the name Isobel." She grinned with a dreamy smile.

"I do too." Horatio said quietly as he smiled at her with his charming, happy smile.

"Isobel-Mae?" She asked softly.

"Isobel-Mae is beautiful." He smiled softly as he kissed her lightly on the lips a couple of times and she returned the kiss.

"Isobel-Mae Caine and Ella-Louise Caine, our girls have names." She smiled as she looked at him warmly as she removed her hand from his chest and placed it over Horatio's hand that was on the side of her belly. "Are you 100% happy with them?" She asked him softly as she needed to know that he was truly happy with the names.

"I am more than 100% happy with them, how about you beautiful?" Horatio asked softly as he began to nuzzle her nose again.

"I am more than 100% happy with them too, I can't believe they have names now!" Zoë smiled as she removed her hand from his and pulled herself closer to him and wrapped her arm around him.

"Zoë, Maya, Ella and Isobel… my 4 girls." Horatio smiled and she smiled at him as she bit her lip and then quickly pulled back to wipe her eyes. She rolled onto her back and pressed her lips together to try and push the tears that wanted to fall away. Horatio furrowed his brow as he quickly moved closer to her and began to rub her belly again. "Are you sure you're happy with the names?" Horatio asked softly and she nodded as she turned her head and swallowed.

"They're happy tears, they're beautiful names." Zoë said softly and Horatio smiled as he nodded and then kissed her lightly while she continued to calm herself down. She wiped her eyes one more time and then moved back onto her left side to face Horatio. "Are we going to tell them about Maya?" Zoë asked softly.

"Perhaps when they're old enough?" Horatio asked softly and Zoë nodded and exhaled steadily as she ran her knuckles over his cheek before she pushed her fingers into his hair and around to the back of his head.

"I can't believe that we could have them in our arms in 9 weeks, it feels like it's gone so quickly." Zoë said softly.

"It certainly does sweetheart." Horatio smiled and she smiled back before she took a deep breath and gazed into his eyes.

"I love you so much." She said just before she passionately kissed him, she didn't even give him the time for him to say anything back to her. "Mmm I'm sorry, I really need the loo now." She said as she pulled from the passionate kiss and slowly got up to go to the loo. She walked back in as she held her belly and laid down. She moved the pillow to sit between her legs and put another under her belly. Horatio moved closer once she was comfortable. Horatio placed his hand on the side of her belly and exhaled contentedly. "I have a feeling that Isobel is going to be a red-head for some reason and I think she's going to share our stubborn trait. They both might be red-heads, I might have the red-hair allele too, I don't know… but Isobel being a red-head has got a certain feeling about it." She smiled at him and he chuckled.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded with a radiant smile as he removed his hand from her belly to play with a strand of hair that fell in front of her face.

"I don't know, I've just got the feeling." She said softly and he smiled as he really relaxed himself.

"As long as she has your face, it won't matter if she has red-hair." Horatio smiled softly.

"Your red-hair isn't a bad thing, Horatio. Neither is your face for that matter. I'd love it if they had red-hair actually because that would mean that they're more you. Red hair and blue eyes… but I wouldn't complain if they had brown eyes and brown hair too, but I really do want them to have your eyes." She smiled at him as she began to play with his hair again.

"Well, I'd love them to be the spitting image of you, like you are of your mother." Horatio said softly and she chuckled warmly. She suddenly stopped and began to frown, causing Horatio's eyes to widen and he began to worry immediately.

"Mmm" she moaned softly as she rubbed her stomach and pushed the duvet off them to look down at her belly.

"What?" Horatio asked as he moved his hand to her belly to feel it all hard.

"It's gone all hard." She said softly as she rubbed her belly more and then moved slightly and her stomach softened again. "Was that a Braxton Hicks thing?" She asked and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile as he too rubbed her belly delicately. "Oh gosh, I'm not going into labour now, am I?" She panicked as her eyes widened.

"No, no you're not sweetheart, that's perfectly normal, don't panic." He assured her as he placed his other hand under her head and began to lightly skim his thumb over her cheek bone.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded with a reassuring smile.

"I'm positive, you're fine sweetheart." He said softly and she nodded as she relaxed.

"I'm turning into a bloody hypochondriac." She sighed as she calmed herself and played with his floppy fringe.

"It's natural to worry about things during pregnancy sweetheart." Horatio assured her and she nodded with a gentle smile as she exhaled.

"What would I do without you?" She asked softly and he smiled as he moved closer to her.

"I love you, goodnight beautiful." Horatio said lovingly.

"Goodnight handsome, I love you too." She smiled as she kissed him.

XXXXXXXX

The next day, Eric was at his house sitting on the sofa, waiting for the doorbell to sound. '_Calleigh will be here in a moment with our son, how surreal can this situation become? It doesn't feel real, it doesn't feel like I could possibly have a son. What do I say to him? Can children his age even talk? He's 20 months old… 1 year and 8 months, well, just under… I don't know anything about children. I have tried to read up on some information but none of it seems to be something I can relate to the real world. What if he doesn't get along with me?'_ He thought to himself and then heard the doorbell. He got up and swallowed before he took a deep breath and then walked over to the door and opened it.

"Hey Cal" he greeted with a nervous smile.

"Hey Eric" she smiled and he stood back to let her in as she held the young boy in her arms with a buggy and large bag too. He studied the boy who had short very dark hair much like himself and slightly fairer skin, but his facial features were almost the spitting image of himself. Tyler just looked at Eric with a slightly confused expression before he looked away and buried his head against Calleigh's shoulder.

"I can see that you're dead nervous Eric, relax." She said smoothly as he shut the door and gave him a fresh, natural smile. He nodded as he took a deep breath to cool himself down.

"Would you like a drink? Would Tyler like a drink?" He asked as they walked into the kitchen after Calleigh left the buggy by the front door with the large bag.

"I'd love a coffee please, Ty will have some sort of squash, if you've got any?" She asked softly and he nodded with a small smile but Calleigh could still see that he was highly nervous and unsure what to do. "First of all, what would you like him to call you?" Calleigh asked, breaking the tension immediately and he looked at her and pressed his lips together as he furrowed his brow.

"I don't know Cal." He said honestly as his eyes skipped from Calleigh to Tyler repeatedly.

"Okay, how about we start off with Dad? If you find it's too much too soon, then we can start off with Eric?" She asked softly and he nodded as he looked back to Tyler and pressed his lips together. He studied the young boy and could see himself as a boy.

"Ty, this is Dad, do you recognise him from pictures?" She asked softly and he nodded as he looked at her. Eric studied the young boy, as he nodded. It was clear that he was also shy.

"Do you want to say hello to Dad?" She asked Tyler enthusiastically and he waved at Eric before he put his thumb back in his mouth.

"Hello Tyler" Eric said softly as he brought a hand and placed it on his arm. Calleigh smiled at Tyler and was happy to see Eric making bodily contact with him.

"Hello" he replied quietly and then looked back to Calleigh as he put his head down on her shoulder as he gripped her neck. Calleigh giggled a little and Eric removed his arm and looked back up at Calleigh afraid that he'd upset the boy.

"He can be shy sometimes, don't worry about it Eric." Calleigh said softly and Eric nodded and then flicked the kettle on after he turned back.

"Can he have a glass?" Eric asked as he turned back to Calleigh who shook her head.

"I've got his plastic cup in my bag, thank you though. I'll be right back." She said as she walked back to the front door and pulled out the cup. She walked back through to the kitchen and handed it to Eric with a smile while Tyler silently watched Eric while he sucked his thumb. "Please try not to make it too strong, he'll be jumping off the walls otherwise, he can be a right little monkey." Calleigh smiled and Eric chuckled and then added the water to the juice and placed the cup on the side as Calleigh put the lid on it and handed it to Tyler.

"Say thank you Dad." Calleigh smiled at Tyler.

"Thank you Dad" he mumbled quietly before he took a few sips and Eric couldn't help but smile at him. Calleigh could see Eric really relaxing and could see that his heart was melting through his wonderful smile as he looked at Tyler more, but she could still see the disbelief in his eyes.

"How's it feeling?" Calleigh asked softly as she smiled brightly at Eric.

"It feels good actually." He replied as he stirred their coffees.

"Great" Calleigh beamed.

"I still can't believe I have a son." Eric said softly as he turned with the mugs in his hands and Calleigh nodded.

"I know Eric. It'll get easier, usually fathers are there from day 1, to be thrown in at the deep end is daunting and hard to get your head around, I know." Calleigh said softly and Eric nodded but remained silent. "I wish I'd come to you straight away, it's the biggest regret of my life, Eric." Calleigh said softly and Eric nodded.

"You can't change the past though, so don't dwell on it. At least we're here now and things are sorted." He said softly and Calleigh nodded as she took a deep breath. "Do you want to go through to the living room?" He asked and she nodded before they walked through to the living room.

"You don't have any valuable things laying around or things that could easily smash, do you? Because he'll get his hands on it if it breaks. Or anything shiny, he likes things that shine." She said softly and Eric smiled and shook his head as they sat down on the sofa. He flicked the TV on to a children's program and saw Tyler absorbed almost instantly.

"Not really, it's not exactly a house designed for children, it's pretty boring and plain." Eric said softly as Calleigh looked around and noticed that it hadn't changed very much.

"Oh I don't know, those teddies look quite childlike." Calleigh smiled back at him.

"Oh they're for Horatio's and Zoë's girls, I do have something for Tyler though, does he like teddies?" Eric asked softly as he got up and Calleigh nodded with a smile.

"You didn't have to Eric." Calleigh said softly as she lightly rubbed Tyler's back as he concentrated on the TV.

"It's only something small, I have no idea what to get a child of his age, or new-borns for that matter which is why they all get teddies." Eric said softly as he sat back down with a brown fluffy bear in his hands.

"Tyler, look what Dad has got you." Calleigh said softly and he looked round to Eric and then down to the bear. Eric moved it closer to him and he reached out.

"Thank you" he said quietly as he stood on the sofa and took it from Eric with a happy smile.

"Do you want to give him a hug?" Calleigh asked when Tyler turned to her to show her the bear and Tyler nodded. He turned back to Eric and walked over to him and then lightly hugged him. Eric lightly hugged him back and then gave him a smile as he walked back over to Calleigh and put an arm around the back of her neck as he leant against her and held the bear in his other hand.

"He really likes it, thank you Eric." Calleigh said softly.

"I think those pictures you've been sending me has helped, although, it's still weird to think that he's my son." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded.

"I'm glad they've helped. You'll get used to it after a while, I'm going to try and make monthly trips down here so you can see him. It'll get easier and you'll be more relaxed the more you see him, he was looking forward to meeting you, but he can be quite shy when he first meets people and then he turns into a terror." Calleigh smiled and Eric chuckled lightly as he looked back to Tyler.

"Apparently I was an angel until I hit my 2's, let's hope the same isn't said for Tyler. I can always come to California, don't forget that." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded.

"Yeah, perhaps we can alternate? I mean, if it isn't too much money." She said softly.

"It'll be fine, thank you." Eric said softly and Calleigh nodded with a smile. "What was his first word?" Eric asked curiously.

"Mumma" she smiled brightly as she ran her hand over Tyler's head.

"I've got his first steps on my phone if you want to see?" She asked as she tilted her head.

"Please, that would be good." Eric said softly and Calleigh smiled as she pulled her phone out.

XXXXXXXX

"How does it feel to be 30 weeks pregnant with twins?" The new Obgyn doctor asked with a smile as she sat back in her seat and looked at Zoë sweetly. Zoë took a deep breath and shakily took Horatio's hand and pressed her lips together. She tried to take some deep breaths but the more she looked at the doctor the more she began to panic.

"You're okay sweetheart, have some water." Horatio said warmly as he pulled the bottle of water from her bag and handed it to her. He looked back to the young woman with black hair and deep green eyes and gave her a small nod. Zoë took a few more deep breaths as she briefly closed her eyes and concentrated on Horatio's fingers playing with hers on his thigh. "Sorry" Horatio mouthed silently to the doctor who nodded at him and gave him a gentle smile while she sat back and allowed Zoë some time and space. "Okay?" Horatio asked warmly when she looked back up at him looking a lot more composed. She nodded with a gentle smile and took another deep breath before looking to the doctor.

"I'm sorry Doctor Moore, I'm not so good with new doctors." Zoë apologised quietly.

"That's not a problem, Zoë. Please call me Julie." She said warmly and Zoë nodded as she swallowed.

"Why can't I just see Val again?" Zoë asked quietly.

"Because you're in the risk category, I'm just going to take a look at you and assess everything, I'm basically going to do everything that Val has. I understand that you've been experiencing more nose bleeds and palpitations, etc. so I need to take a look at you. I'm not going to hurt you at all. I just need to make sure everything is well with both you and the babies." She said warmly and Zoë nodded at she swallowed again.

"Okay." Zoë said quietly as she took a tight hold of Horatio's hand and nodded at the doctor again.

"How are you feeling? How's everything going in general?" She asked warmly as she sat forwards ready to take down some notes.

"Erm… sometimes it's amazing, but other times it's horrendous if I'm honest. I mean, I'm barely sleeping; I keep having such vivid dreams as well as some terrible nightmares that scare me into not sleeping for the rest of the night, I'm also getting up every hour or two to go to the loo and I'm getting so uncomfortable. I've got a constant backache, warm baths soothe it but I can't lie in the bath all day long. I keep walking into things and knocking things over and my belly is really itchy. I can't even walk properly anymore; I am waddling like a penguin or something." She said as she looked from Heather to her stapler and back quite often and then lightly bit her lip, it was clear that she was still incredibly nervous. She'd spoken so fast that Horatio couldn't keep up, but amazingly the doctor had already scribbled everything down.

"Pregnancy isn't easy, but you look like you're handing it very well actually. I have been in contact with Val and she said that she's very happy with how you're doing. You might think that you're not handling it well, but believe me, you are. It's very normal to have all of those things, pregnancy isn't all nice. How is your breathlessness?" She asked softly.

"It's okay." She murmured as she looked down.

"What's bothering you Zoë?" Heather asked bluntly when she could see that something was really bothering her. She looked up at her and shook her head and looked back down again as she began to play with her fingers and pulled her hand from Horatio's.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Horatio asked softly as he leaned over to her chair. She looked up at him and then burst into tears. Horatio quickly got up and comforted her. She whispered something to him and he nodded. Heather gave them a moment to themselves and looked back to them as Horatio sat back down and took a firm hold of her hand.

"She's fine, don't' worry." Horatio said warmly as he looked up at the doctor as Zoë had told him that she was feeling quite hot for him. He'd flushed bright red as the doctor nodded at him, he just hoped she hadn't heard what Zoë had done. Zoë looked back up to Horatio a few moments later and pressed her lips together as she pushed the tears back again.

"Don't leave me, please?" Zoë begged with a whisper as she looked at him.

"I'm not leaving now and I won't leave during the birth either, I will be with you the whole time, don't worry sweetheart." Horatio said warmly and reassuringly before she silently nodded at him.

"Is it just your husband attending the birth?" Heather asked softly and Zoë nodded.

"I really don't want a caesarean, can you make sure that definitely doesn't happen?" Zoë asked as she lowered her eyebrows.

"I can't promise you anything Zoë, but hopefully you'll be able to give birth naturally, don't worry about that. We only perform C-sections if there's an emergency or if we feel that you are in particular danger." Heather assured Zoe softly.

"If that does happen, will I be knocked out? Where will Horatio be?" Zoë asked quietly as she stared at the doctor. The doctor could see that Zoë was on the edge of tears again so tried to be delicate.

"If that does happen, Horatio can stand by your side, you can choose to be knocked out if you want but most mothers elect to be awake." Heather said softly and Zoë nodded as she looked down as she played with Horatio's hand. Zoë swallowed and closed her eyes briefly to compose herself.

"Okay, if I could just check you over quickly we'll be done here. Then you have your 34th week appointment with Val as usual." She said warmly and Zoë nodded.

XXXXXXXX

"Hey, Horatio, Zoë" Nathan called as he walked behind them in the corridor on their way out. They turned around and smiled warmly at him as he greeted them with a warm smile too.

"Nathan how are you sweetie?" Zoë asked as she released Horatio's hand and hugged Nathan gently.

"I'm really well thank you, how about both of you?" He asked as Horatio stepped forwards and shook his hand.

"We're good thank you, getting by as usual." She smiled sweetly and Nathan nodded.

"I'm just on my lunch break, so is my sister, Sophie. I know you wanted to meet her, would you be up to meeting her now?" Nathan asked warmly and Zoë nodded eagerly, Horatio nodded too but was somewhat less eager, but it was clear he wanted to meet her too.

"Don't worry; she's lovely, even if she does still bully me every now and then." Nathan smiled softly and Zoë lightly giggled as they began to walk again.

"Does she have children of her own?" Zoë asked and Nathan nodded with a genuine smile.

"She has one son, my nephew – he's coming up 9 years old in a few months actually." Nathan said softly and Zoë smiled with a nod. "She can also make some bad jokes… so be warned." Nathan smiled and Zoë nodded with another giggle as she looked up at him brightly.

"Run in the family?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, we all get it from our Dad." He smiled and Zoë nodded with a smile. Zoë got on well with his sister, Horatio remained quite quiet while he listened to the others talk. He made quiet observations and noticed that Zoë was very relaxed around her. '_You can definitely see the family resemblance.'_ Horatio thought to himself as he studied both Nathan and his sister. Once home Horatio made sure Zoë went straight upstairs to rest in bed as he made her something to eat and drink. He then went upstairs with their food and drink and sat down next to her with a gentle smile.

"What do you think of Nathan's sister?" Zoë asked warmly as she took her plate and glass from him with an appreciative smile and nod.

"I think she's a nice woman, I think she's an excellent paediatrician, I'm happy for her to be the girls doctor." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I thought the same, she's just like Nathan, so easy to talk to and with such a kind heart. I only think I got on with her so well straight away was because she was Nathan's sister and it's clear that they're close" Zoë agreed warmly before she took a sip of her drink.

"Are you happy to have her at the birth if she's on shift and if paeds are needed?" Horatio asked and Zoë nodded as she looked back to him after putting her drink down.

"Yeah, I really hope she's on shift. I don't know how I'm going to cope when people I don't know just start to walk in. What if I panic? What if I panic so much that I do my Zoë thing and walk out and become a stubborn bitch?" Zoë said softly and Horatio sighed warmly as he looked at her sympathetically.

"I don't think you'd walk out, I think that you're just going to need reassurance and quite a bit of it, but I think you know deep down that they're not going to hurt you and that they are doing their jobs and doing it well. You won't walk out of there because that would mean that our girls would be at risk if you were in the middle of labour." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I'm just scared Horatio. I'm afraid about how I'm going to react to it all. I do honestly think I'll be fine as long as you're by my side though, well… I hope so anyway." Zoë said quietly as she looked over to him.

"I know sweetheart, but just think that the sooner you get over the initial panic, the sooner they can concentrate on their job which means our girls will hopefully be with us sooner." He said softly and Zoë looked at him for a few moments before she nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Zoë said with a gentle smile. "Okay, I'm feeling positive about this now." She said as she looked back to the plate on her lap and began to eat the snack Horatio had prepared. They finished their snack just as there was a knock at the door.

"I'll be back sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she nodded. He took their plates and glasses down and then answered the door.

"Eric, how are you doing?" Horatio asked softly as he stood back and invited him in.

"I'm good H, how about you and Zoë?" He asked brightly.

"We're both great thanks, Zoë's upstairs if you want to say hi?" Horatio asked softly and he nodded and then walked upstairs with Horatio.

"Hey Zo, how are you doing?" Eric asked softly as he walked into the bedroom.

"I'm great thank you, how about you?" She smiled softly and Eric nodded.

"I'm good thank you Zoë, I just wanted to give you these, I've had them for weeks now." Eric said as he handed her the plane white bag. She smiled naturally at him and then pulled out the two pink fluffy teddy bears.

"Aww Eric, these are beautiful, thank you!" She smiled as she sat up more and then hugged him.

"Not a problem" Eric smiled as she placed them on the bed and sat back again as she rubbed her belly.

"How'd your appointment go?" Eric asked softly as she placed his hand over her belly while Horatio walked over to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge while he watched the smile appear on Eric's face as he felt the babies moving.

"It was good thank you, we met Nathans sister today too, so we're happy with everything at the moment." She smiled as Eric smiled when he felt another kick.

"I can't believe how big you are." Eric smiled softly and she nodded as she released his hand and then picked up her glass of juice as she gestured for him to sit on the bed too.

"I know, neither can I! I can't walk anymore, I waddle! Give me a penguin suit and I'd be mistaken for one, I have the walk and everything! Sit down sweetie, please." Zoë smiled softly and he chuckled as he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over to Horatio who smiled at him with a nod. But he saw a glint of something in Horatio's eye, he could see that Horatio was uncomfortable with how close he'd sat next to Zoë, so subtly shuffled away slightly and also kept his hands away from her. He knew that Horatio didn't want him even touching Zoë, but couldn't quite understand why Horatio was quite so protective of her. He expected a bit of protectiveness, but not on the level he saw in Horatio's eyes.

"Oh, have we told you that we've names now?" Zoë asked softly and he shook his head and looked at her with a wide smile, waiting for the names. She bit her lip and glanced to Horatio with a wide smile.

"We've decided on Ella-Louise and Isobel-Mae." Zoë smiled back at Eric.

"They're beautiful names, Zoë." Eric smiled brightly at her before he looked over to Horatio with a nod and smile.

"You think?" She asked and Eric nodded at her while she bit her lip. "Horatio actually came up with Ella, I fell in love with it." She smiled and Eric nodded with a smile.

"If I had known those, I could have got their names put on the bears." Eric said softly with a gentle smile.

"Sorry sweetie, we didn't want to tell people too soon in case we decided that we didn't want to keep the names for sure, but now we are. Now our two girls have two gorgeous names!" She said as she grinned radiantly.

"They are beautiful names." Eric smiled and she grinned back.

"How'd it go with seeing Calleigh and Tyler?" Zoë asked softly as she rubbed her stomach as Horatio moved to sit on the bed a little more, also interested in what Eric was going to say.

"It was really good actually, I was initially quite nervous, but then I relaxed once I met him. He's a lovely little boy, he's quite well behaved too. He's the spitting image of me, he's got Calleigh's eyes though, which is a good thing." Eric said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"That's fantastic news, I'm glad it went really well." Zoë smiled as Horatio reached over and placed his hand on Zoë's belly too. "Will you be seeing him again soon?" She asked softly as she looked up at him curiously.

"Yeah, we're going to try and make it a monthly thing, either I go there or Calleigh comes down with him." Eric said warmly and Zoë nodded with a smile before Eric looked over to Horatio. "I tell you what H, it's a fantastic feeling to hear your child call you Dad, I know it's different for me as I didn't know I had him, but the first time you hear Ella and Isobel call you Dad or Daddy your heart will melt." Eric smiled shyly as Horatio smiled at him.

"Aw that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say." Zoë said as she began to cry as she raised one hand to her eyes to swipe the tears away.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Zoë, I'm sorry." He apologised as he looked back to her with worried eyes.

"It's okay, they're cross between happy tears and stuff. It's fine Eric, I'm just full of pregnancy hormones." She said softly and he nodded with a small smile and looked back to Horatio for reassurance. Horatio nodded at him with a smile and then saw that Eric began to feel a little better. Horatio rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as he looked back to her with a gentle smile.

"Can we meet him sometime, please? Like when you get to know him better obviously." Zoë said softly and Eric nodded. She managed to stop her crying and took a few deep breaths.

"Of course." Eric smiled as he nodded again and saw the bright smile appear across Zoë's face. He looked over to Horatio and could also see that he wanted to meet Tyler too.

"Maybe he and one of our girls could marry!" She grinned and Eric chuckled as he looked back to Zoë as Horatio also looked back to her.

"I think there's a long way off that yet, Zo." Eric chuckled and she smiled with a nod.

"I tried to get Alexx to have another baby so we could set up her baby and one of our girls on dates, it would be perfect if we could do that with your son too!" She grinned and Eric chuckled as Horatio raised his eyebrows and tilted his head at her. She looked over to Horatio and began to giggle as she bit her lip.

"Don't worry Horatio, I am joking, I know they won't be dating until they're like 40…" Zoë grinned at him and he nodded with a light chuckle. She then looked back to Eric with her natural smile. "How did you find it interacting with him? I know you've not had much contact with children before." Zoë said softly.

"At first I didn't really know what he was aware of and things so I didn't interact with him much, but Calleigh was brilliant, she talked me through everything and by the end, I felt a lot more confident with him. He also seemed quite confident with me too." Eric said softly and Zoë smiled.

"That's fantastic sweetie, you're going to have to get used to new-born girls in a fair few weeks, you're going to be changing nappies and everything so don't think you've missed out on that stage." Zoë grinned and he chuckled.

"You'll have to talk me through it mind you." Eric smiled and she nodded.

"Oh of course." She said as she nodded and took Horatio's hand lightly and he smiled with a nod.

"Anyway, I must get back to work, I took a quick detour." Eric said softly and she chuckled.

"Okay sweetie, it was lovely to see you, we'll see you again soon." She said softly and he nodded. He then got up with Horatio who showed him back out. Horatio came back up and found Zoë in the nursery pulling some clothes out of the draws.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing?" Horatio asked softly as he walked over to her.

"I think now is a good time to wash all of the clothes since they could be with us in 6 or 7 weeks. It'll take us two weeks to wash everything." Zoë smiled and Horatio chuckled with a nod.

"I'll do it, go and lay down sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he began to take the clothes out of the draw instead.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded with a confident smile. "Okay, make sure they're on a gentle warm/cool wash though, don't shrink them or mix the colours." She said softly and he nodded.

"I know how to wash clothes, sweetheart, just go and rest." He said softly as she handed him the clothes she had and placed a delicate kiss on his lips before she turned around and waddled out slowly and got back into bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Two weeks later, Horatio received a call from Eric while he was in the kitchen getting a drink for them while Zoë rested upstairs.

"H, I'm really sorry to bother you, but are you free at the moment?" Eric asked softly.

"There's no bother, yes I'm free." Horatio said softly as he put the orange juice back in the fridge.

"Okay, basically we're still really struggling with this case, the killings are getting more frequent and the victims are getting younger. We had a 14 year old this morning, raped, mutilated and murdered. We can't handle this, we need you. We can't have any more bodies turning up H. I don't know what else to do, we can't catch these people. Every single suspect we've had in is completely clean, we have no leads, we have nothing. I know what I'm asking is really not ideal, I know it's not. But I'd rather have you leading the team and I can stay at yours with Zoë to keep her company for a while or something like that. We need you H otherwise we're going to have children on Alexx's table before long." Eric said frantically as she sat in Horatio's office more stressed than he'd ever been due to work.

"Eric, calm down. I can come in as Kaitlin will be here soon. Give me an hour and I'll be with you." Horatio said softly and then listened to the large, heavy sigh of relief exit Eric's mouth.

"Thank you so much H, I wouldn't ask unless we were desperate." Eric said softly as he began to calm down.

"I know Eric, I'll see you soon." Horatio said before he hung up and walked upstairs to see Zoë and handed her the glass of orange juice.

"Sweetheart, I've got to go to the lab, they're really struggling with the same case. I'm going to have a patrol car sitting outside, I do not want you going out for any reason, you are not to leave this room. If anything gets worrying, you go straight into that bathroom with Kaitlin and you call me. Don't answer the door to anyone. I won't be long, they just need some guidance, the victims are getting younger and the killings are getting more frequent apparently." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded with a gentle smile as he sat down on the bed.

"Of course handsome, if you need a hand, send me some information or something and I'll get straight on it. Kate should be here in about 5 minutes anyway, so we'll be fine." Zoë assured him softly and he nodded.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he lightly took both of her hands after she'd placed her glass down.

"I know Kitten, don't worry, but please just wait until Kaitlin is here?" She asked and he nodded as he moved closer to her with a smile.

"Of course sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he rubbed her belly lightly.

"How have I got about twice the size I was two weeks ago?" She asked softly with a smile as she looked up at Horatio.

"I'm not sure sweetheart, but take it easy, you're only to get up if you need the loo and even then, make sure Kaitlin is on hand to make sure you're okay getting up. Get up slowly, you are not to rush anything okay? Make sure you eat properly." He said softly and she chuckled as she rolled her eyes at him. '_He's going to be even worse with our girls, isn't he? He's not going to allow them to do anything at all.'_ Zoë thought to herself with a bright smile.

"Stop your worrying handsome. We'll be fine, we're probably going to sit in bed, eating and watching films anyway. I'm not going to be out on that beach running around like a crazy woman if that's what you're worried about. You don't mind if she sits in bed with me, do you?" Zoë asked softly with a smile as she placed one of her hands on his thigh.

"Of course I don't." Horatio said softly and she smiled at him with a nod. They then heard the doorbell as well as a knock at the door.

"That's her." Zoë smiled and Horatio nodded.

"I'll be back up." Horatio said softly as he got up and walked down to the door. He answered the door to Kaitlin.

"Horatio!" She beamed as she instantly hugged him, he was slightly startled by the very excitable greeting, but it had put an even bigger smile on his face.

"Hi Kaitlin" Horatio said softly as he stepped back and hugged her back.

"How are you doing?" Kaitlin asked with a bright smile as she pulled from the hug and beamed radiantly at him.

"Good thank you, how about yourself?" He asked softly as his eyes fell to the bags that were outside the front door before he looked back up at her with a smile.

"Great thanks, would you mind giving me a hand with all of this?" She asked softly and he nodded as he looked down at the 20+ bags on their porch.

"Zoë's upstairs if you want to go straight up." Horatio said softly and she went straight up with her hands filled with bags. Horatio also walked up with his hands filled with bags. '_Is this all for the girls? Or is it just her stuff to stay for a few days?'_ Horatio thought to himself as he walked into the bedroom after Kaitlin as she dropped the bags and bounded over to Zoë with a squeal.

"Hey gorgeous!" She beamed as she sat and hugged Zoë lightly on the bed.

"Hey gorgeous back at you!" Zoë smiled as Kaitlin kissed her cheek.

"How are you doing?" Kaitlin asked as she immediately placed her hands on Zoë's belly.

"We're good thank you." Zoë smiled and Kaitlin nodded as she looked down to Zoë's belly with a wide smile.

"Zoë, I'm off now sweetheart, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Horatio asked and she nodded with a bright smile.

"We'll be fine thank you, have a good day. I love you." She said as she reached up for him and he bent over and gave her a quick kiss as Kaitlin moved away slightly to give them room.

"I love you too. Kaitlin, make sure she rests, please?" Horatio asked softly and Kaitlin nodded with a smile.

"See you later Horatio." Kaitlin said as Horatio began to walk out.

"See you later ladies." He said softly and Zoë smiled at him before he left the room and walked downstairs. Kaitlin placed her hands back on Zoë's belly as they looked back to each other with large grins and a small squeal of excitement from each.

"I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to get down sooner! I had planned to come down every month at least. My boss is being a right bitch, she refused to let me have time off, so eventually I just got so fed up I told her I'm not coming in because I'm unwell." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë giggled a little as she moved one of Kaitlin's hand to the side of her belly.

"Oh my gosh, did the babies just kick?" She asked and Zoë nodded with a smile as Kaitlin's jaw dropped to the floor.

"I think only one of them is awake at the moment, I'm not sure what one is kicking at the moment." Zoë smiled softly as Kaitlin's eyes remained glued to her belly.

"Oh my, that is wonderful! I should have got more time off just to come and feel this!" She beamed at Zoë.

"They're a lot less active now, they were doing summersaults and everything in there a while back, they don't have much room anymore." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded while she continued to feel the movement.

"I'm not surprised, look at how big you are! How are they fitting in side you?" She said with a smile and Zoë lightly giggled. "I didn't think it was possible to get this big!" Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile as she rubbed her belly too.

"Believe me, I didn't think so either! I'm only going to get bigger too!" Zoë smiled softly and Kaitlin chuckled.

"Anyway, I have some stuff for you, Horatio and the babies." She smiled as she bit her lip and looked back to the bags that were sprawled all over the bedroom floor. Zoë looked over to the bags also and raised her eyebrows a Kaitlin as she looked back to Zoë.

"I can see that… did you buy half of New York?" Zoë grinned with a smile.

"Not quite, I would have loved too though." Kaitlin said as she got up.

"Before you show me anything, I need the loo. I literally have to go every 10 minutes, it's horrible." Zoë said softly as she swung her legs over to the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment. "Could you please help me up? I'm so heavy right now and my back is really bad." Zoë said softly as she looked to Kaitlin.

"Of course babe." She said as she took Zoë's hands and gently helped her up. Zoë smiled at her with a nod and then placed her hands over her stomach as she waddled into the bathroom. Kaitlin sat back down after she pulled all the bags up onto the end of the bed.

"What animal do I remind you of?" Zoë asked softly as she waddled out of the en-suite and over to the bed.

"A penguin, you're waddling." She grinned and Zoë giggled as she nodded.

"I know! It's hard to think that I'm giving birth in a few weeks!" Zoë said softly and Kaitlin smiled.

"Few weeks?" Kaitlin asked softly, a little concerned as Zoë sat down on the bed.

"Yeah, people with twins usually give birth around their 37th week instead of their 40th where their due date is. It's nothing to worry about." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded as she exhaled a sigh of relief. "Sorry Kate, would you like a drink?" Zoë asked softly.

"No thank you babe, I just finished a coffee." She said softly and Zoë nodded as she sat back against the head board. "Where did Horatio go by the way? I didn't think he left you?" Kaitlin asked warmly as she looked up at Zoë with a gentle smile.

"He usually never does, but he's been called into the lab as he is desperately needed, he wouldn't have gone if you weren't down for a couple of days." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded as Zoë got herself comfortable again.

"Here's the first bag." Kaitlin smiled as she handed Zoë the first bag.

"You really didn't need to get anything, Kate." Zoë said softly as she opened the bag and reached in.

"I really wanted to though." Kaitlin beamed as Zoë pulled out a few small outfits as she looked back down.

"Aww, Kate! These are gorgeous!" Zoë grinned as she laid the outfits out on her legs to get a good look at them.

"Have you got many baby clothes?" Kaitlin asked softly as she looked up at Zoë and lightly bit her lip out of curiosity.

"Only a two wardrobes and three chest of draws full." Zoë grinned and Kaitlin grinned back with a giggle herself.

"Well, they'll have a new outfit for every day of their baby lives then." She grinned and Zoë chuckled.

"I think it will come close!" Zoë smiled brightly at her.

"They're gorgeous, thank you Kate." Zoë said as she placed them on the bed beside her as Kaitlin handed her another bag as she threw the other onto the floor.

"Oh my gosh! A bag full of mittens, hats, bibs and socks! That's so cute! Those socks are amazing!" Zoë said as she pulled out the box of brightly coloured socks with black love hearts on them.

"They've got to have just as much style as their Mummy!" Kaitlin beamed.

"It feels so weird to think that I'm going to be a Mummy so soon!" Zoë smiled as she looked at all of the items and then placed them on the bed as she handed Kaitlin the bag.

"Why don't you put them back in the bags? Surely that would make more sense?" She asked softly with a smile.

"Because they have to be washed and then I'll put them away." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded.

"Oh of course." Kaitlin said as she nodded, Kaitlin handed her another bag full of clothes and shoes.

"Have you thought of names yet?" She asked and Zoë nodded as she bit her lip. She watched Kaitlin's eyes glow with curiosity as she sat up straight.

"I didn't want to tell you over the phone though, we came up with Isobel-Mae Caine and Ella-Louise Caine." Zoë smiled.

"They are beautiful names! They're just what I'd expect you to come up with!" Kaitlin smiled.

"I know right! Horatio actually came up with the name Ella!" Zoë beamed and Kaitlin beamed back.

"I still can't believe you're Zoë-Mae Caine now, not Zoë-Mae Chambers." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I know, but I'm so used to it now, I've wanted for ages to be able to call myself Mrs Caine, and now I am it is amazing!" Zoë grinned. Kaitlin then handed her another bag with more clothes as well as teddies.

"What about you and James? Anything going on?" Zoë grinned as she winked at Kaitlin.

"Yes actually, he proposed to me last week!" Kaitlin grinned as she showed Zoë her hand.

"WHAT?! Seriously?! Oh my gosh! How?!" Zoë said extremely excitedly as she sat up and nearly exploded with excitement.

"It was over a romantic meal in my favourite restaurant before we went to see a performance at the theatre. We're going to have the wedding next August, so a year from now." She said softly and Zoë nodded with a bright grin and then squealed.

"Wow! That is amazing Kate! Who have you told?" Zoë asked as she leant forwards and gave Kaitlin a warm hug.

"Only you so far, to shush." Kaitlin grinned and Zoë nodded as she handed Zoë another bag which only made Zoë's smile grow more.

"I can't believe it. Are you pregnant yet?" Zoë asked softly and Kaitlin shook her head.

"No, we're going to wait for that I think… although, you never know." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded. "We're also talking about moving to here, but we aren't sure." Kaitlin said softly.

"You won't regret it if you do! Believe me, moving to Miami was the best choice I ever made and I found my husband here! Although, you've got yours already." Zoë grinned and Kaitlin giggled with a nod. "These are all amazing Kate, thank you so much!" Zoë beamed as she looked down at the very large pile of clothes, teddies and toys while Kaitlin grinned at her.

"I'm glad you like them all!" She beamed.

"Come and see their room." Zoë said as she very slowly got up with all of the teddies, toys and books. Kaitlin carried most of them as Zoë held her large belly with one hand while she had a load of clothes under her other arm and walked through to the nursery with Kaitlin.

"Oh my gosh, this is so cute! I really want a baby now!" Kaitlin grinned and Zoë nodded with a smile as she put the clothes in the washing basket.

"Isn't it just, I love just sitting in here." Zoë smiled and Kaitlin grinned.

"Aw they've even got names above their cots! I want to be pregnant now!" Kaitlin squealed happily and excitedly.

"Pregnancy isn't all that you know, there's a lot of hidden costs too." Zoë smiled brightly.

"Like what? I know there's like morning sickness." Kaitlin smiled curiously.

"Morning sickness this time around was horrendous, I couldn't pry myself from the loo where as with Maya it didn't really affect me at all. I've got a horrible back ache and you get aches and pains everywhere really. Not to mention a disgusting amount of vaginal discharge and leaky nipples. But everything else is amazing really, it will all be worth it when we have our girls in our arms." Zoë said softly and watched Kaitlin frown mildly at Zoë. "I don't want to scare you out of it at all. It's not all that bad really. It's just not as perfect as you first might think." Zoë said warmly and Kaitlin nodded.

"Who's going to be at the birth? Is Joe going?" Kaitlin asked curiously.

"No, just Horatio." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded.

"Talking of Horatio, he said you should be resting." Kaitlin said softly as Zoë sorted out what Kaitlin had got as she glanced back to her with a cheeky smile.

"What Horatio doesn't know won't hurt him. I'm only up for 10 minutes anyway, I need to keep my legs active as I get cramp otherwise." She said softly and Kaitlin nodded as she walked over to the cots and ran her hand up the length of one of the sides. She smiled down at them as they were already set up with teddies and things inside the cots with blankets laid out too. She then looked to the side where the changing station was and saw a couple of bags.

"Aww are they the bags you've packed for hospital?" Kaitlin asked as she walked over to them and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"They're so cute! They've got everything in them!" Zoë beamed as she looked at the two bags on the side.

"I can't wait to see them! They're going to be so gorgeous! I'm going to have to baby sit every now and then! That's made the decision, James and I are going to move down here too." Kaitlin beamed and Zoë giggled as she stood back up from putting the books on the bookshelf.

"You certainly can and yes, you must move here." Zoë grinned and Kaitlin smiled back excitedly.

"Right, I have loads of films with me, and I have loads of stuff for us to eat, so let's get our bums into bed or on the sofa and we can spend the afternoon like old times." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Just what I wanted!" Zoë beamed and walked back into the bedroom with Kaitlin.

"Does Horatio mind if we use this bed?" Kaitlin asked.

"Of course not." Zoë smiled as she picked up her drink on the side of the bed and took a sip.

"What's your side?" Kaitlin asked.

"Well, usually the right is, but the left is now as I sleep on my left and I like to snuggle with him." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin grinned at her and then climbed in onto Zoë's side while Zoë walked over to Horatio's side and slowly sat down.

"You… snuggling with someone? You used to kick Joe out of bed because you wanted more space." Kaitlin grinned.

"Times have changed and he's my husband, who's cuddly and gorgeous and the father of my 3 girls." She said softly and Kaitlin smiled softly as she nodded.

"We also used to be snuggly… mainly when we were severely hungover, but snuggling all the same, you can't say that I'm not a snuggly person." Zoë grinned as she looked to Kaitlin and raised her eyebrows.

"True I suppose." Kaitlin grinned and Zoë chuckled as Kaitlin put the DVD in and then pulled up a bag of food, consisting of crisps, pop-corn, chocolate and sweets.

XXXXXXXX

Horatio sat at his desk in his office as he rubbed his forehead, going over everyone's notes and details over and over. The words eventually began to merge into one so he sat back and checked his phone again. He couldn't help but worry about Zoë so kept texting her to make sure everything was okay which wasn't helping with his stress. '_I need to stop worrying about her, she'll be absolutely fine.'_ Horatio thought to himself before he looked up when there was a knock on the door just as his phone vibrated.

"Come in." he called as he checked his phone and read the message he had recieved.

"H, have you managed to find anything?" Eric asked as he entered just as Horatio was rising to his feet as he looked at his phone.

"No, but there's a new body, we need to get there now." Horatio said as he walked out, Eric quickly followed. They turned up to find a teenage girl still in her school uniform sprawled across the dirt in amongst bushes in a park. Horatio stood tall, looking over the bloody young girl as he sighed and felt something deep inside him growing angry. He took a deep breath and looked away as he placed his hands on his hips.

"She was 13 Horatio, 13 years old." Alexx said as she pulled the young girls ID from her blazer pocket. Horatio looked back to Alexx and could see that even she was highly distressed.

"H, these guys are playing with us." Eric said as he walked over to Horatio and Horatio nodded as he took a deep breath and began to tap at his ID badge on his belt as he blinked a few times with his eyes scanning the immediate surroundings.

"I know Eric... Eric, what is that under that bush?" Horatio questioned as he lowered his eyebrows as he took his sunglasses off and turned to stand to his side. He frowned down at the bush while Eric quickly walked over and picked up the key that had been dropped and partially hidden by some dirt.

"This belongs to a motel, perhaps one of the killers dropped it?" Eric asked and Horatio nodded as he pressed his lips together.

"Check it for prints, I'm heading over to the motel now. Frank get back up." Horatio said as he walked past Frank and pulled his sunglasses on and jumped into his hummer and pulled off at speed. Horatio arrived at the motel with heavy backup. They quickly entered the room and looked around. Once they deemed it clear, back up cleared out as Horatio pulled his phone out to ring Eric.

"Eric, they planted the key there, they've left a message in blood across the wall, possibly a combination of our victims' blood. They've also left what looks like one eye of every victim in a jar on the bed. These aren't your average killer, they're doing this for fun. Get Walter and Natalia over here now." Horatio said before he hung up and walked out becoming agitated. He looked down at the floor and tapped at his ID badge again. He then walked in and took a look round himself. He noticed that there was a light dusting of a white powder on the cabinet. He looked at it and then stood up as Walter and Natalia walked in.

"Walter, give me one of your gloves please." Horatio asked softly as he looked at Walter.

"Sorry H, I've just got one pair left." Walter said softly.

"Here H." Natalia said softly with a gentle smile as she held out a pair of gloves.

"I need Walters gloves." Horatio said as he tilted his head and looked back to Walter. "You can have it back." Horatio said and Walter then nodded and handed him a glove and stepped back to observe Horatio. Horatio put some of his fingers in the glove and then rubbed the thin powered between his fingers as he handed the glove back to Walter.

"You're not going to find anything in here, they've used latex gloves, specifically the kind with the powder on the inside. I am guessing our male has large hands as the powdered gloves are easier to get on if you have larger hands. The same powder is on that cabinet." Horatio said as he looked at them and placed his hands on his hips.

"Go over the room and see if they slipped up, call me if they have." Horatio said as he walked out and they nodded and then got on with their jobs. Both could see that Horatio meant business and nothing else. Horatio went back to the lab and walked in to see one of the lab techs.

"Cooper, can you get me a the list of students that attend Miami University." Horatio said softly and he nodded as he brought the list up on the screen for Horatio to look at.

"We've already been through these students, H–" Dan said as he looked back to Horatio.

"I am aware of the investigation that has already gone on. Narrow it down to the students that are enrolled on Chemistry, Biology or Forensic sciences subjects." Horatio said and he nodded and looked back to the screen to do what Horatio had asked. "Can you check to see if any of them have a record?" Horatio asked and he nodded and then did a few things.

"None of them have records." He replied to Horatio as Horatio put his hands on his hips and concentrated on the screen while he thought to himself. "Okay, do you have access to their medical records?" Horatio asked and he nodded.

"The university have sent over a list of students who have declared any health issues." He said as he brought up a new list.

"Can you cross match them?" He asked and Dan did as he was asked.

"There's 5 students, 3 have a multiple personality disorder, two have bipolar." He said softly and Horatio nodded as he looked down to the floor.

"Can you print me their profiles please?" Horatio asked and he nodded.

"I'll bring them over to you." Dan said and Horatio nodded before he walked out with his hands on his hips. He walked through the lab while he pulled his phone out and rang Eric.

"Eric, are you nearly done?" Horatio asked as he made his way into one of the labs.

"Yeah H, I'm on my way back now." Eric said softly as he closed his hummer door and pulled his seatbelt across.

"Okay, I think I've got our suspect list down to 5 people. I need you here now." Horatio said firmly with determination to catch the killers once and for all.

"What? Are you being serious?" Eric asked.

"Deadly." Horatio said before he hung up. Horatio then walked into the lab and got on with some evidence from the victim from the previous day. Eric walked in with Dan.

"Here you go, H." Dan said as he handed him the file. Horatio took the file and then nodded at him. Dan promptly left as Eric put down the evidence boxes on the desk and looked to Horatio for answers or any leads that he'd found.

"How'd you narrow it down?" Eric asked.

"These are intelligent killers, they know what we do and what we look for. I had a feeling that they are on a forensic based course at the local University and I've found 5 students with mental disorders." Horatio said as he looked through the profiles. He then pulled two out and handed them to Eric as he placed the other 3 profiles on the desk. "Look at their names." Horatio said as he looked to Eric and turned to have his shoulder facing Horatio while he stood sideways.

"Tammy and Burton Sykes?" Eric asked and Horatio nodded with a firm expression.

"They both suffer with multiple personality disorder, brought on by a traumatic experience as children. They're both taking a course in Chemistry and Forensic sciences, they both have a good academic profile too. I think we need to go and visit these siblings." Horatio said and Eric nodded.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Eric asked.

"You need to think broadly when leading Eric, you were too focused on one thing. But you did a good job." Horatio said as he walked out with Eric on his tail. They both hopped into the same hummer and drove over to the campus and found their dorm after finding they shared a room.

"Tammy, Burton, it's MDPD, open up." Eric said loudly as he knocked. When there was no immediate answer they pulled their guns. "Open up." Eric said loudly as he knocked again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." A female voiced said from behind the door. She opened it and looked up at Horatio and Eric sweetly as she pulled her silk night robe over her as she looked up at them innocently. "Who are you?" She asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then folded her arms across her chest.

"I am Lieutenant Horatio Caine from MDPD and this is Eric Delko, may we come in and ask you a few questions." Horatio said as he put his gun away and placed his hands on his hips after taking his sunglasses off.

"Erm, sure." She said sweetly after thinking about it. She stood back and let them enter.

"Is your brother in, Tammy?" Eric questioned as she followed them through to the living area. She stopped and looked at them both confused.

"I don't have a brother sir and my name isn't Tammy, it's Alice." She said sweetly as she held the robe closed. Both Horatio and Eric looked at each other and exchanged a frown before looking back to the young girl.

"Is there anyone else in the apartment, Alice?" Horatio questioned as he tilted his head and moved to stand sideways.

"Yeah, my boyfriend, Seb." She said as she looked over to the bedroom door as a young man walked out in a robe of his own.

"Burton Sykes?" Eric asked as he looked at the young man.

"No, Seb Bassett." He replied as he walked over to the young woman and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you both mind taking a seat, please?" Horatio questioned and they both sat down on the sofa. "Have you both been taking your medication?" Horatio asked softly as he looked from the male to female and back a few times. Then two white martial art outfits caught his eye in the corner and he immediately knew it was the two people before him that were the killers.

"Medication? What medication?" The young woman chuckled.

"The medication for your mental disorder, Tammy." Horatio said softly.

"My name isn't Tammy." She said as she shook her head and scowled at him.

"I'm sorry, but what is this about?" The young man asked as he shook his head and looked up at both Eric and Horatio displeased.

"There has been a succession of murders, linked to the martial art class you attended." Eric said and they looked to him with confused expressions.

"What? We don't even take martial arts." The young man said as he shook his head. Horatio took a deep breath and looked over to Eric before he looked over to the slightly ajar bathroom door.

"May I take a look in your bathroom?" Horatio asked as he looked back to them and they both nodded. Horatio quickly walked away and came back with two pill pots with their names on.

"These haven't been touched for the last month, probably more." Horatio said to Eric quietly while both suspects just looked at Horatio confused.

"They're not ours, they must be from some of our friends, someone could have accidentally left them here." The young woman said innocently. Horatio then produced a bloody cloth from behind his back and they both looked at it confused as their frowns deepened.

"Where did that come from?" They both questioned at the same time, they both looked genuinely unaware that it was even in their dorm.

"It was on your bathroom floor, along with bloody clothes and a large bloody towel." Horatio said and they both looked at him shocked.

"What?" They questioned as they got up and rushed over to the bathroom. Horatio and Eric quickly followed but stepped back. It was clear that they both didn't know what Horatio was talking about.

"Shit Cassy, we need to clean this up before anyone sees it." The young man said as he walked in and crouched down as his body language and speech pattern changed. He seemed to develop a Texan accent.

"I thought you were going to do that Aiden!" She said as she walked in and crouched beside him. Eric and Horatio looked at each other and then placed their hands on their guns as they looked back to the two people who had began to try and clean the bathroom up.

"Tammy, Burton, stand up and put your hands in the air." Horatio said lowly but clearly. They both turned around looking shocked.

"Who are you?" The young man growled as both Eric and Horatio pulled their guns from their holsters and took aim.

"Who are we talking with?" Horatio questioned firmly.

"Aiden Smith." He growled, growing angry very quickly.

"Aiden, put your hands in the air and step out of the bathroom." Horatio said as both Eric and Horatio took their safety off.

"Cas, get behind me." The young man said firmly.

"Cassy, put your hands in the air too and step out." Eric said firmly and they did as they were asked while they both glared at both Horatio and Eric. "Did you both murder that school girl earlier today?" Eric asked and they smirked at him.

"What school girl?" The male asked with a smile but it was clear he knew exactly what they were talking about.

"The young girl that you raped and mutilated on her lunch break." Eric growled.

"Oh her, she was asking for it." He grinned with an animalistic grin and dark eyes.

"Turn around and put your hands on the wall, you too." Eric said as he looked from the young man to the young woman.

"Why?" Horatio questioned the both of them as both Eric and Horatio cuffed them when they turned around.

"Why not?" The young girl asked as she glanced back to Horatio with a snarl. "He'd rape the females, I got the males. I took the first slice, then watched him stab them when they were on the ground, begging for their life while pure blood oozed from their stomachs. To watch that hope die in their eyes as they beg us to stop is a magical feeling." The young woman smirked as both Horatio and Eric pulled them out and sat them down on the sofa while Eric radioed for back up.

"Who are you to each other?" Horatio questioned as he placed his hands on his hips.

"He's my toy boy." She grinned as she bit her lip.

"You two need help." Eric said as he shook his head as Horatio shook his head and looked down as he placed his hands on his hips.

"What for, officer?" She grinned.

"You do realise that you are both brother and sister and you both suffer from multiple personality disorders, which you've just clearly demonstrated in front of us. You've not been taking your medication." Eric said firmly.

"You've got to be joking." The young man scoffed as he chuckled.

"I wish I were." Eric said firmly with a sigh.

"I think we did quite well fooling you all, what has it been, 3 months? You were beaten by some students. I'd say that your procedures aren't very good, that or you guys aren't very bright at all." She smirked at them with icy eyes.

"Where did you keep their body parts?" Eric questioned firmly.

"That would be telling." The young man smirked at them before Eric pushed them back over to the sofa and sat them down.

"You've got that pregnant wife, haven't you?" She smirked up at Horatio but he didn't say anything or move a muscle, he just focused on the table in front of them with a set, hard expression. "We were going to move onto pregnant women next, I guess you've been lucky." She smirked and Horatio looked up at her with a fiery glare as his jaw tightened.

"That would have been your last mistake, it would have been the last thing you'd ever do on this Earth." Horatio growled lowly at them. Officers then walked in and hauled both of them up when Horatio gave them the nod. Horatio watched the officers pull both perpetrators out with tight lips and hard eyes.

"H, are you okay?" Eric asked and Horatio nodded as he looked back down and glanced over to a door that was shut and where they hadn't checked.

"Check that other room, Eric?" Horatio questioned as he tapped at his ID badge again and thought about Zoë. '_She's okay, isn't she?'_ He thought to himself as he pressed his lips together.

"H, you'll want to come and take a look at this." Eric called and Horatio walked into the second bedroom to find all of the body parts on different shelves, marked and labelled with the victims' names, ages and their date of death. Horatio pulled his phone out as he looked at the jars of eyes and ears when he felt his phone vibrating. He saw Zoë calling him so quickly answered as he turned away from Eric and looked out into the living area.

"Horatio, is that you?" Kaitlin asked.

"Yes, it's me Kaitlin, is everything okay?" Horatio asked warmly but Eric picked up on the hint of worry in Horatio's voice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Erm, Zoë's getting pain and I'm not sure what to do." Kaitlin replied and Horatio could hear that she was very panicked.

"Eric, I've got to go, can you get this sorted?" Horatio asked and Eric nodded with a frown as he began to worry himself. "Okay Kaitlin, stay calm, what sort of pain?" Horatio asked as he walked out after Eric nodded.

"I don't know, I think she's giving birth or something!" Kaitlin panicked.

"Kaitlin, calm down for me please, you need to remain calm." Horatio said softly.

"I can't." She said frantically before she took a gasp of air.

"I'm on my way home now, where is Zoë?" Horatio asked softly as he rushed over to the hummer.

"She went to the loo. She's in pain Horatio, I don't know what to do." Kaitlin said as Horatio jumped into his hummer and drove off.

"Kate, what are you doing? I'm fine, don't worry. You better not be on the phone to Horatio, I hope you've just called Joe…" Zoë said firmly, yet sweetly and loud enough for Horatio to hear on the phone.

"Kaitlin, I need you to calm down, you'll panic Zoë and Zoë can't be panicked at the moment." Horatio said softly as he weaved through the traffic. Zoë then knew she was on the phone to Horatio when she gave her a guilty expression.

"Kate, I'm fine babe. Give me the phone please." Zoë asked her warmly but Kaitlin was too absorbed in her panicked state.

"I can't stop myself Horatio." Kaitlin said frantically and Horatio heard Zoë groan loud enough for him to hear.

"Just take some deep breaths, calmly tell me what the problem is, where is she hurting? What has she been doing?" Horatio asked warmly.

"We were just watching movies when she started to get cramps and stuff, I think she's going into labour. She was holding her belly." Kaitlin said and Horatio swallowed as he concentrated on the road but felt his heart rate pick up a little.

"I'll be there in two minutes, put me on the phone with Zoë please." Horatio said softly and then heard Kaitlin hand Zoë the phone.

"Horatio, don't panic, I'm fine, really." Zoë said calmly herself.

"I'm not panicking sweetheart, I'm just worried, I'm nearly home now. What sort of pain are you getting?" Horatio asked softly.

"I'm fine it was just a couple of painful Braxton hicks and cramps, I'm not in labour and I'm not dying, I'm fine, really. There is no need for you to come home at all, I promise you that I'm okay." Zoë said and Horatio could hear the displeased tone in her voice, she was obviously aiming the displeasure at Kaitlin.

"Okay, you're doing a good job sweetheart, just don't panic." Horatio said as he put his foot down, but he could feel himself panicking slightly. "How are you feeling now?" Horatio asked and she could hear how concerned he was.

" Horatio, listen to me, I am fine, really. The _mild_ pain went after I changed position so I know it was definitely Braxton hicks and general cramps, Kaitlin just panicked and phoned you without my knowledge while I was in the loo. I'm so sorry Horatio, there really is no need for you to stop working." Zoë said softly as she sighed.

"Okay sweetheart, she's probably just very worried about you, I'll be with you in a minute, don't move okay?" Horatio said softly and then listened to Zoë sigh again as he pulled up outside and got out of the hummer at speed.

"Okay, I'll see you then." Zoë said softly as they hung up, she could tell that he was still worrying a lot. Horatio then quickly entered the house and rushed upstairs, worried because he thought Zoë was trying to keep him calm and was just saying that she was okay so he didn't panic.

"Hey, see I told you I'm fine. Little miss overreact here just panicked, I'm good, really." Zoë said softly with a smile as she slowly sat back up as Horatio walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed as he placed his hand on her stomach as he looked deeply into her bright brown eyes.

"Are you sure sweetheart?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she placed her hand over Horatio's hands on her belly as she gave him a smile.

"They're fine, I'm fine. I've just eaten too much and was sitting in an awkward position. You can go back to work, Horatio I'm so sorry, I really am. I hope you weren't in the middle of anything too important, you shouldn't have just rushed away like that." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he began to relax.

"Okay sweetheart, I don't need to go back, you don't need to apologise either. Would you like anything to drink?" Horatio asked softly as he began to rub her belly lightly while Kaitlin knelt on the other side of the bed still looking panicked.

"No thank you, we've just had some orange juice." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile.

"Would you like anything Kaitlin?" Horatio asked as he looked over to her and she shook her head.

"So, Zoë's okay?" Kaitlin asked Horatio and he nodded as he gave her a reassuring expression and smile.

"She's fine." Horatio assured her and Kaitlin let out a long breath as she relaxed herself.

"I told you Kaitlin." Zoë smiled and she gave Zoë a soft shy smile.

"Go and look in the girls bedroom." Zoë grinned at Horatio and he nodded as he got up.

"Sorry babe, I just really worried." Kaitlin apologised.

"Don't worry, but next time, please listen to me." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded with a shy expression.

"The thing is, you never say when you're actually hurting or unwell though, so I don't know if you're saying that you're fine or if you're meaning it." Kaitlin said quietly as she raised her eyebrows.

"I know, but that was me years ago, if I thought there was something wrong with me now that I'm pregnant with these two, I react like that. I panic and question Horatio as to whether I'm okay. Just trust me next time." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded with a growing smile while Horatio walked in to the nursery and saw the new books, toys, teddies and also the full washing basket of clothes. He walked back into the bedroom with a secret smile.

"Thank you Kaitlin." Horatio said softly and she smiled at him widely.

"How was work?" Zoë asked softly as he walked back over to her and sat on the edge of the bed while he placed his hands on her legs and looked up at her.

"Stressful, but we've caught the killers now." Horatio said softly.

"Really?" Zoë asked softly and Horatio nodded with a relieved smile.

"They both suffered from multiple personality disorder, they were siblings and seemed to have a nice personality, then they changed in a split second and they confessed to the murders when in that personality. They thought they were in a relationship though when they were those two personalities, I didn't see them when they were themselves unfortunately." Horatio said softly.

"That's horrible. Are they not on medication?" Zoë asked with a frown.

"Yes, but they've not been taking it." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded as she pressed her lips together and took a deep breath through her nose. '_Well at least they've been caught now.'_ Zoë thought to herself.

"Ew, they've been sleeping together and they're brother and sister?" Kaitlin asked and both Zoë and Horatio looked over to her. Horatio seemed a lot more displeased than Zoë as Zoë understood that Kaitlin didn't understand exactly what a multiple personality was.

"They wouldn't have known that they were brother and sister when their personalities change, that wasn't their fault. What was their fault was that they weren't taking their medication." Zoë said softly and studied the scowl on Kaitlin's face.

"That's still wrong." Kaitlin said and Zoë nodded partially in agreement.

"Yes, but you've got to realise that in their heads that it wasn't wrong, they thought they we're in a relationship, not siblings." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded.

"I don't know how you two deal with stuff like that. I'm happy with my office." She smiled sweetly and they both smiled at her with a nod, they both knew she didn't mean to offend anyone. '_She's just like Zoë, she'll open her mouth and speak before she thinks…'_ Horatio thought to himself with a small secret smile.

"You can go back to work now if you want handsome, I'm sorry I didn't mean to pull you from work in the first place." Zoë said softly.

"That's me done sweetheart, they've got the killers now, Eric can sort out the rest." Horatio said softy and then watched the smile appear across her face as she nodded and then put her hands over his.

"Do you want to get into bed with us then?" She asked and Horatio smiled as he glanced down. "Come on, we'll put on a movie that you'll like too." Zoë said as she moved over and sat in the middle of the bed and patted the spot where she was sitting.

"Okay, let me get a coffee first and I'll be right up, would you ladies like anything to eat?" Horatio said softly and they shook their heads with gentle smiles before thanking him. Zoë then sorted the pillows out around her back to make herself comfortable while Horatio walked down the stairs.

"He's such a babe, where did you find him? I wish James would watch movies with me." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë giggled as she looked over to Kaitlin.

"We quite often watch movies together, he doesn't particularly enjoy them a lot of the time though. But what else can we really do now especially as I'm supposed to rest and put my feet up." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin smiled at her.

"That's even better! He'll sit through a film he doesn't like with you, the only films I can watch with James is the boyish films." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë giggled again.

"I think Horatio prefers those sorts of movies, but he doesn't particularly mind too much. And well, he's mine and I'm not sharing him." Zoë smiled at her and she giggled back.

"James will be down with me when you have the girls, hopefully he'll learn a few things from Horatio." Kaitlin smiled and Zoë giggled.

"He's pretty good as he is though; at least he isn't a jerk." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded.

"There is that I suppose, so I can't really complain. But it would be nice if he could learn a few things off your man. I mean, you know James loves his Xbox and you'll only get a few grunts from him if he's in the middle of a game even if there is company around." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I think every man could learn something from Horatio if I'm perfectly honest." Zoë said softly as she looked over to the door with a dreamy smile, waiting for Horatio to walk through.

"Don't be so soppy, what happened to you?" Kaitlin grinned and Zoë chuckled as she looked back to Kaitlin.

"Shut up." Zoë smiled playfully at her.

"Seriously though, you would have never said anything like that 2 years ago…" Kaitlin said softly as her blue eyes connected with Zoë's.

"Yeah, well a lot of things have changed since then." Zoë said softly and Kaitlin nodded with a smile as she took a moment to observe Zoë.

"Changed for the better." Kaitlin said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Definitely, I mean, we've got two baby girls on the way!" Zoë grinned as she looked over to Kaitlin. Horatio then walked in with his coffee. He took his jacket off and then sat on the bed and moved over to Zoë.

"What are we watching then?" Horatio asked softly as he looked over to Zoë and Kaitlin with a gentle smile as he put his arm around Zoe.

"The Notebook, it's a soppy film." Kaitlin beamed.

"Great." Horatio said sarcastically and both Kaitlin and Zoë giggled as they looked at him.

"No, we're watching Sherlock Holmes 2." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a more genuine smile after hearing that it wasn't a soppy film. Zoe placed her head on Horatio's shoulder and watched the movie after Kaitlin played it and relaxed back herself.

"Can I have a sip of your coffee please?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded and then handed it to her.

"Thank you." She said softly as she handed it back to him and then really relaxed and watched the film. Once they had all showered, they got into bed, Kaitlin using the main guestroom.

"Today has been quite good actually." Zoë smiled as she looked at Horatio while they laid in bed together.

"Good because I wasn't there for most of the day?" Horatio asked with a cheeky smile as he rubbed her belly lightly.

"No… well… I was happy to know that you weren't stuck in the house with me; I know it drives you insane sometimes as it drives me insane and it's been fantastic to see Kate. I can't believe how much stuff she got us either!" Zoë said softly as she rubbed his chest softly.

"Also… guess what." Zoë said softly.

"What?" Horatio asked as he rubbed her stomach.

"James proposed to her last week and they're getting married in a year!" Zoë said and Horatio could see her excitement.

"That's fantastic." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded with a wide smile.

"I know right." Zoë grinned and Horatio chuckled. "I need the loo again." She added as she rolled onto her back and then slowly sat up. Horatio quickly got up and got out of bed and slowly helped her up.

"Ouch, ouch." She yelped quietly as she held her belly as she stood. "Ouch Horatio." She groaned as she then gripped both of his hands tightly and took a deep breath.

"What?" Horatio asked frantically as he looked at her wide-eyed as worry began to set in again.

"Everything." She groaned as she looked down and let go of his hands as she placed her hands over her belly again.

"Okay sweetheart, do you want to sit back down again?" Horatio asked and she shook her head as she took a couple more deep breaths.

"I really need the loo now." She said and Horatio nodded.

"Okay sweetheart, take it really slowly." Horatio said as he took hold of both of her elbows and walked backwards into the en-suite with her. She went to the loo and hissed in pain again when she got up.

"I'm so uncomfortable Horatio." She said quietly as she dried her hands after washing them.

"I know sweetheart, but hopefully it'll be better once you get some proper rest, I suspect that you weren't in bed for the entire day today, were you?" Horatio asked.

"I was up for about 15 minutes putting the stuff Kate got in the girls room, but that was it, really. I hurt more if I just lay in bed all day, I have to keep moving." Zoë said softly as she slowly waddled out of the bathroom with Horatio helping anyway he could.

"Sit down slowly sweetheart and I'll give you a back massage, yeah?" Horatio asked and she nodded.

"Thank you." Zoë said softly and Horatio smiled at her as he helped her to sit.

"Shall we take your top off?" Horatio asked and she nodded and then pulled it off as he got onto the bed and turned to kneel behind her. He began to slowly massage her back and then listened to a few quiet contented groans.

"How's this?" Horatio asked warmly.

"Really good thank you." She said softly and he smiled softly as he concentrated on her back.

"Thank you Kitten." Zoë said softly a few minutes later when she felt a bit better. Horatio sat back and eased her down and onto her back and she rolled back onto her side. Horatio moved the pillows into place for her and then laid down himself.

"Not putting your top back on?" Horatio asked softly with a small boyish grin.

"No, I'm too hot." She said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile and then moved closer to her. She felt his skin against hers and she dreamily smiled at him.

"I love it when I feel your skin against mine." Zoë whispered and Horatio nodded while she lightly bit her lip.

"I do too." Horatio smiled as he rubbed the side of her belly with his hand. "How long is Kaitlin staying?" Horatio asked softly as she wrapped one of her arms around him to pull him closer.

"Just tonight and tomorrow night." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded and then kissed her lightly.

"Goodnight handsome." She said softly.

"Goodnight beautiful." Horatio replied and then laid with her awake, but with their eyes closed, just feeling the occasional kick.

XXXXXXXX

Horatio comforted Zoë as she burst into tears yet again, this time it was over a glass of water she'd spilt on the sofa.

"Don't worry sweetheart, it's water it's not going to stain." Horatio said softly as he rubbed her back and kissed her forehead while she sobbed into his chest.

"I don't want the babies in me anymore… can't we just induce me somehow?" She begged him as she took hold of the sides of his shirt tightly. "I am so uncomfortable Horatio, you'd never believe it. I just want them in my arms now, not in my belly. I want them now." Zoë cried as Horatio closed his eyes and exhaled steadily.

"I know sweetheart, I know." Horatio said softly as he rubbed her back.

"No you don't! You've never experienced this." Zoë cried. "I'm so tired too, I can't sleep anymore Horatio." She murmured into his shirt. '_What else can I do for her?'_ Horatio asked himself feeling a little low because he didn't want to see Zoë so upset but knew it must be difficult and that her hormones were raging through her body.

"Just think that we'll have our girls in our arms in just a few weeks, it's not long to go now sweetheart." Horatio whispered against the side of her head.

"Not long to go? Each day feels like a week, each night feels like a month. I loved my pregnancy up until my third trimester. This is horrible. I itch, I'm exhausted, I'm uncomfortable, I hurt, I'm hot, I'm moody, I'm clumsy, I can't move in bed anymore, I can't hug you properly, sex isn't the same well the last few week sex has been off the books, the babies are jabbing my ribs, I need the loo all the time, I can't do this Horatio." She cried as she ran her hands up his sides and back down before she took two more fistfuls of his shirt. "I'm so scared and nervous Horatio, I can't wait to have them in my arms, but I'm not sure I'm ready anymore, I'm not sure I can do this." Zoë murmured.

"I know what you're going through isn't nice Zoë, I know it's not. I wish there was something more I could do for you, really I do. I'm scared too, Zoë. But together we can do this, you're only human, you can't do this all on your own, which is why I'm here to help you in any way I can. Pregnancy isn't easy sweetheart. How about we go and run you a nice warm bath with lots of bubbles so you can soak? It might help." Horatio asked and she nodded against his chest as she tried to compose herself. "Okay sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he moved away and then slowly helped her up. They slowly walked out into the hall just as there was a knock at the door. Zoë leant against the wall and rubbed her stomach as Horatio answered.

"Hi Horatio, hi darling, I picked up those silk pyjamas you wanted." Joe said softly and she nodded as she took a deep breath.

"Thank you." She said softly and he gave her a small smile as he handed the bag to Horatio, he could see that she was in the middle of one of her worrying episodes so knew it was best to leave them to it.

"I'll see you both later." Joe said softly and Zoë nodded as she wiped her eyes with one of her hands.

"Thank you Joe, see you later." Horatio said softly and then closed the door after Joe walked away. He quickly walked back over to Zoë as she stood against the wall and helped her upstairs.

"Hopefully we'll get better sleep now, silk pyjamas are supposed to help with movement." She quietly sobbed and Horatio nodded at her warmly. "Can we go out for dinner tonight and then watch a movie at the cinema, please?" Zoë asked softly as they made their way up the stairs.

"Of course sweetheart, that would be lovely. But only if you're feeling up to it." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she took a deep breath.

"I'll be fine later, it's just my hormones again." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a gentle smile as they walked into the bedroom. She sat down on the bed as Horatio quickly turned and walked out to turn the bathwater on and then collected a towel for her and placed it on the towel rack.

"What do you want to wear?" Horatio asked softly as he walked back into the bedroom with a smile.

"Could you grab me some shorts and one of your t-shirts please?" She asked and Horatio nodded as he got her underwear from the draw and then collected the clothes she wanted. He walked out and placed them in the bathroom and then walked back into the bedroom and helped Zoë back up slowly.

"I'm surprised my spine is still in one piece." Zoë said softly as they walked down the hall slowly.

"It wouldn't be very good if it broke when you got pregnant, I don't think many people would be getting pregnant twice if that happens." Horatio said softly and she began to chuckle as she looked up at him.

"You are hilarious." She smiled as they walked into the main bathroom. He smiled down at the floor as he placed his hands on his hips and stood in the bathroom with her as she looked over to the bath. "Can I give you a blowjob?" Zoë questioned out of the blue and Horatio looked up at her slightly surprised and shocked but also a little amused with how blunt she was again.

"Perhaps another time sweetheart?" Horatio said softly as he gave her a gentle expression.

"Is it because I'm fat and pregnant? Don't you love me?" Zoë asked as she began to cry again as she looked down and covered her eyes as tears fell.

"No, no not at all sweetheart, it's just that you have a bad back and you're uncomfortable and I'd much rather give you pleasure as well. Of course I love you beautiful." Horatio said softly as he stepped forwards and began to lightly rub her back.

"I'm sorry." Zoë apologised as she wiped her tears and then undressed slowly.

"Don't worry sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he took the clothes she'd just taken off and put them in the washing bin for her. He then helped her to get into the bath and left her to it. He relaxed on the bed and accidentally fell asleep. He woke when Zoë walked into the bedroom with a calm smile. She smiled at him and then put moisturiser on as she sat on the other side of the bed.

"Someone is tired." Zoë smiled softly and he looked over to her with a tired but happy smile. He was happy to see her now calm and happy.

"Hmm" Horatio murmured as he sat up and then rubbed his eyes briefly. "Would you like a tea, beautiful?" Horatio asked and she nodded.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly and he nodded as he needed a coffee himself. He got up and walked out as she carried on moisturising and then got changed. She then stopped when she heard a thump and her heart began to race as her eyes widened as she looked towards the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Horatio?" Zoë questioned loudly as she walked out of the bedroom as quickly as she could. She saw him at the bottom of the stairs as he let out another groan. "Horatio!" She shouted as she made her way down the stairs as quickly as she could and safely.

"I'm good." Horatio assured her as she slowly knelt beside him and placed her hand on his chest as she looked down at him with wide eyes.

"Where do you hurt?" She asked as she looked his body over with a deep worried frown.

"I'm good, I'm good." Horatio said as he began to sit up but she shook her head.

"Horatio, don't sit up; you could have really hurt yourself." Zoë said as she placed her other hand on his shoulder.

"I'm good Zoë, I didn't hurt myself, I didn't fall down the full flight of stairs, don't worry sweetheart, I think I've just twisted my ankle but that's it." Horatio said as he looked at her with a gentle expression.

"Promise me that you don't hurt anywhere else?" Zoë asked and he nodded as he placed one of his hands over her thighs.

"I promise you that I've just hurt my ankle." He said softly and she nodded and then moved and took a gentle hold of his ankle.

"You're an actual dipstick, how did you managed to fall down the stairs again?" She asked as she looked back to him and then gently placed his foot and ankle back down.

"I missed my step, I'm a little tired." Horatio said softly.

"Horatio, you are a dipstick." She said as she frowned at him playfully. "Your ankle is fine, stay there and let me get the support grip, you're lucky you didn't fall down the whole flight and knock yourself out again." Zoë said softly as she slowly got up. Horatio heard her knees click as she stood and winced because he knew kneeling probably made her more uncomfortable.

"I'll get it sweetheart, don't worry." Horatio said softly as he began to sit up again.

"No, stay there." She said firmly as she walked over to the closet and pulled the support grip from the first aid bag and then crouched back down beside Horatio as he sat up and checked is ankle out himself. "What am I going to do with you?" She asked with a small smile as she delicately put the grip on his ankle.

"Put me in the same bubble I have you in?" Horatio asked and she giggled softly.

"Come on, I need to put ice on that." Zoë said softly and he nodded. He got himself up as Zoë got herself up slowly. Horatio walked through to the living room when Zoë ordered him to while she got a bag of ice from the freezer and then placed it on his ankle. He hissed in pain and tried to remove it.

"No, you've got to keep it on. Just like the time you put ice on my ankle when I slipped in the bathroom." She smiled softly and Horatio nodded as he sat back and gritted his teeth. She got up and then walked into the kitchen to make him a coffee and herself a herbal tea. They relaxed together for the rest of the day until they went out for their meal and the movie when Horatio's ankle felt better.

They made sure they did things together for the rest of the week, they weren't out of each other's company for more than 20 minutes for the whole week.

XXXXXXXX

"Mmm I keep getting these Braxton hicks things." Zoë moaned as she sat on one of the kitchen stools as Horatio put locks on the lower cupboards, ready for when they have little feet running around the house.

"Val said that it's usual, your body is getting ready to go into labour sweetheart, you are 35 weeks and probably going to give birth sometime next week, well according to Val." Horatio said softly as he stood up and leant on the island counter with a gentle smile.

"I can't believe we're this close to be going into labour now, I just can't believe it. I can't believe that we could have Ella and Isobel in our arms next week!" Zoë said as she looked at him with a bright smile.

"Neither can I sweetheart." Horatio smiled as he walked over to her and stood behind her as he wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on her shoulder as he began to rub her belly.

"I can't wait to get them out of me, surely it can't hurt any more than I already hurt?" Zoë asked softly and Horatio exhaled steadily.

"It's going to hurt sweetheart." Horatio admitted gently as he lightly rubbed his cheek against the side of her head.

"Please let me live in the light just for another week, I don't have to know that until I give birth…" Zoë said as she looked at Horatio and he smiled with a nod with his nose nearly touching hers.

"You're not going to leave me on my own, are you?" Zoë asked softly as she looked into his eyes and then pressed her lips together.

"No sweetheart, I'm not going to leave you on your own." Horatio assured her and she nodded.

"The car seats are in the car safely, aren't they? You know how to put them in as well, don't you?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded against the side of her head with a gentle smile. "My bag is with the baby bags, isn't it?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded again. "What do I need to add to it when I do go into labour?" She asked.

"Tooth brush, tooth paste, hairbrush and medication." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Do you have the list of numbers we need to text or call for when I do give birth? Like Kaitlin's number and everything? I know you've got all of the numbers in your phone, but just in case our phones run out of battery for some reason. Oh, that reminds me, phone chargers need to go in there too." She asked and Horatio nodded.

"The list is in the bag sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she nodded contentedly.

"These Braxton hicks are weird, some hurt a little some don't." She said as she got up and moved a little.

XXXXXXXX

They woke the next Saturday when the alarm went off. Zoë woke instantly and looked over to Horatio who was considerably more sleepy.

"Morning handsome." She smiled softly as he woke, she looked quite excitable.

"Morning beautiful." He replied as he moved closer and gave her a quick kiss as he rolled onto his side to face her.

"This is officially my 36th week…" Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile, he could see how excited she was already and even felt a little excited himself. '_We could have our daughters with us this week, if not, more than definitely next week!'_ Horatio thought to himself as a wide grin overtook the tired smile he was smiling at her with. "Can we do something later, can we go to the shop and get more nappies and stuff and make sure we have absolutely everything and enough food to last a month, we need to get more freezer food too." She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Of course sweetheart, we'll take it slowly though." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile.

"I know." Zoë said softly. "Can we make sure we do something all the time to keep my mind off the birth? I know I'll panic if I have too much time to think about anything." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Of course, Joe will be round this weekend anyway, Nathan and Alexx are coming over at some point, Eric is too. I think we'll be pretty occupied sweetheart." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded with a more relaxed smile as she ran a hand over his chest.

XXXXXXXX

"I need a bath Horatio." Zoë said frantically Tuesday afternoon as she frowned at him with a slightly pained expression.

"You've just had one sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he took one of her hands and lightly ran his thumbs over the back of her hand.

"I know, but it's the only time where I don't hurt so much or anything! I can actually relax in the bath." She said and he nodded with a gentle expression.

"Okay sweetheart, you wait here I'll go and run you a bath." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she rubbed her belly and took a few deep breaths. He came back in once the bath was done to a comfortable temperature and helped Zoë up off the bed.

"It's so weird not being able to see your own fanny or feet." She said a little firmly as he helped her up and he began to chuckle. She looked up at him a little confused and mildly frowned at him.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, it's just how you said it." Horatio said softly.

"You're the only one that has got to see my fanny recently, it is still all okay? Is it presentable?" Zoë asked and he began to laugh a little more as he smiled widely at her.

"Yes sweetheart, it's all fine." Horatio said softly and she nodded as they walked down the hall slowly.

"I bet they'll calm down in the bath and then as soon as I get out, boom, one of them will kick me in the lung." She said softly and Horatio laughed again as he looked at her with a very amused expression. "It's not funny, it hurts." Zoë said as she looked up at him with a smile of her own amused herself because he was laughing. She suddenly stopped and let go of Horatio as she held her belly as she squatted a little. "Oh my God, ouch! One of them is biting me! I swear they're biting me!" Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio with wide eyes. Horatio wasn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned. "They're biting my fanny Horatio. I swear it. Can they bite? They must be able to, they're biting me! Ouch that hurts!" She said as she looked up at him in all seriousness and he couldn't help but laugh more. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head at him before she let a smile develop across her face as she saw that he was greatly amused. She took a deep breath and then stood up properly again when the pain and odd sensation began to subside. "I swear we have devil children, they've got your devilish side." She said as she looked up at him and he smiled as he tried to stop his laughter and smiled widely at her. She took a deep breath and exhaled steadily. "Oh good, they've stopped." She said as she relaxed slightly and then carried on walking with Horatio into the bathroom.

XXXXXXXX

The next day Zoë was in the bath again when she felt both her legs cramping as her back began to ache more.

"Horatio!" Zoë shouted and he came running in a few seconds later with a panicked expression. "Oh gosh, my legs. They're both cramping, I'm getting cramps in my belly too." Zoë said as she gripped the sides of the bath in pain as she gritted her teeth and looked up at Horatio while he rolled his sleeves up.

"Okay sweetheart, relax. Everything is going to be fine." Horatio said as he crouched down and began to massage her legs as she rubbed her stomach with one hand.

"My back has also really started to hurt." She said as she exhaled and Horatio looked up at her and blinked a few times. _'She's going into labour now, isn't she? That's a sign of labour.'_ Horatio thought to himself.

"Are you getting contractions?" Horatio asked and she shook her head. '_Probably very early labour.'_ Horatio thought to himself. "Okay sweetheart, I think today's going to be the day." Horatio said softly with a smile.

"What? I'm only 36 weeks and 4 days, they can't be this early!" Zoë said as she looked at him panicky.

"It's fine sweetheart, a lot of babies are born before now anyway, they'll be fine." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she put her head back and nodded as she looked up at the ceiling. "It's all going to be fine sweetheart, we could have our girls in our arms by this time tomorrow." Horatio said warmly and she looked back to him and nodded with her eyes lighting up. "I'll give Val a call in a second." Horatio said softly as he felt her legs relax considerably.

"No, I'm good, I just want food now. When's lunch done?" She said softly as she gave him a gentle smile when she felt her entire body finally relax and felt the aching alleviate.

"In about 25 minutes." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded warmly.

"Okay, can you help me out now please?" She asked and Horatio nodded as he took her hands and gently helped her up and out of the bath.

"Are you getting any other pain or sensation at all?" Horatio asked as he looked at her with soft eyes.

"No, I'm good." She said softly and Horatio nodded as he put the towel around her.

"I'm going to call Val, Zoë. She wants to know straight away of any signs at all." Horatio said as they slowly walked into the bedroom.

"No, because she'll probably want me to go straight in so she can put me under observation… I would like food first, then you can call her because Mumma is hungry." She said firmly and then sat on the bed and dried herself. Horatio nodded and kept his mouth closed. Horatio got her some comfortable jogging bottoms and one of his t-shirts. "I would like big pants please." Zoë asked softly and he nodded.

"You know, they're not really big pants… they're normal sized…" Horatio said warmly and she chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, but their big pants in my eyes as I usually wear small pants so I don't get a VPL." She said as she pulled her underwear on and then moisturised while she sat on the bed. Horatio helped her so it was done quickly and then went downstairs just as lunch was done. "Food glorious food." Zoë hummed to herself as Horatio dished up the roasted chicken and vegetables. She sat at the island counter and watched Horatio with the steaming food and felt her taste buds tingling again.

"My mouth is watering so much." Zoë grinned as he placed her plate in front of her with a large glass of water. "Thank you Kitten." She smiled and then dug in just as he did. She finished hers before Horatio and then got herself another glass of water. "That was gorgeous, you are amazing." She smiled and he smiled back. He then stopped chewing mid-mouthful just as Zoë pressed her lips into a hard line and held her belly as she let out a groan. He quickly finished his mouthful and reached over and placed his hands over hers with a concerned expression developing.

"Okay?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she relaxed again and looked up at him with a gentle expression.

"I think that was a contraction." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio and he nodded as he pushed his plate away with a reassuring smile.

"Okay sweetheart, can I call Val now?" He asked and she shook her head as she pushed his plate closer to him again.

"Finish that first, please." She said softly as she got up again and walked over to him with a gentle smile.

"But–" Horatio said softly but she cut him off.

"Finish it, if I am going into labour, then that may be your last proper meal for a day or two, you won't get something like that at the hospital. I'm going to the loo, don't worry about me really, one of them has kicked my bladder again. I think they're going to come out black-belts in Kung Fu!" She said softly and he nodded and saw that she was talking sense – food wise. He finished it as quickly as he could and then cleared up the kitchen as Zoë relaxed in the living room after visiting the loo.

"They're about 15 minutes apart Horatio, no need to worry." Zoë called from the living room. Once Horatio was finished in the kitchen he walked into the living room and crouched in front of her and placed his hands on her belly with a gentle expression. She could see that he was experiencing a wide variety of emotions from excitement and happiness to worry and nervousness.

"Are you sure they're 15 minutes?" Horatio asked and Zoë nodded with a gentle smile as she placed her hands over Horatio's on her belly.

"Am I going into labour now?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded.

"I think so sweetheart." Horatio smiled as he very gently rubbed her belly and thigh as a sense of thrill took over any other emotion he was feeling.

"Wow, I'm going into labour." Zoë said almost shocked as she looked at Horatio and he nodded with his smile widening. "Horatio, I'm going into labour." She said and he nodded again and smiled up at her. He got up slightly and then placed a kiss on her lips as they both felt incredibly excited and happy.

"I'm calling Val now, okay?" He asked and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"I'm going to the loo again." She said softly as she got up and slowly waddled out.

"Hi Val, it's Horatio Caine." Horatio said softly once she picked up the phone and greeted.

"Horatio, how's it all going?" Val asked warmly.

"Well thank you, we think Zoë's gone into labour, she's having contractions every 15 minutes." Horatio said softly.

"Okay, can you tell me how strong they are?" Val asked softly as Horatio stood in the living room.

"She's going to the loo at the moment, but the first one was strong enough to cause her to put her hands over her stomach and stop what she was doing, but then again, that could be confusion or shock." Horatio said softly.

"Yeah, you're probably right, just ask her when she comes back in please." Val said softly.

"Okay, would you like us to come straight in if she's having bad contractions?" Horatio asked softly.

"Not at this moment, I'd like you to come in when she's having contractions every 7-10 minutes, or if they become increasingly painful, or if she feels unwell. Try and take her pulse regularly, but don't panic. If it's faster than usual bring her in straight away and if she gets chest pains I advise that you call for an ambulance, but she's been very good so far so I wouldn't worry about that at all. Just keep her under a close eye." Val said softly.

"Okay, that's fine. Thank you." Horatio said softly and then looked over to Zoë as she slowly entered the living room again with a gentle smile while she held her belly still.

"Can you tell me how strong the contractions are sweetheart?" Horatio asked softly as he walked over to her and offered her his arm to lean on for support.

"Erm, like period cramps really." She said softly as she used his arm to help her sit back on the sofa. "They're not too bad." She said and Horatio nodded and then told Val what she had said.

"Okay, wait for a bit then. Call me before you come in and I will be there on hand for you both and to introduce the team to Zoe. Make sure you don't forget anything and take your time, don't panic and don't rush. I advise you to put a plastic bin bag on Zoë's seat under a towel in case her waters break on the way to the hospital, but I shouldn't think they will." Val said softly.

"Okay, thank you very much Val, we'll hopefully see you in a couple of hours then." Horatio said softly.

"Hopefully see you soon." Val said before they hung up. Horatio then crouched in front of Zoë with a gentle smile as he placed both hands on her stomach.

"Have you noticed something about my belly?" she asked him gently.

"It's dropped, I noticed that this morning." Horatio replied and she nodded with a smile before she took a deep breath and began to rub her back.

"My back is worst of everything to be honest, it's worse than contractions, but it's fine." Zoë said softly when she saw the slight worry in his eyes.

"Would you like a massage?" He asked and she nodded enthusiastically as she could feel her back becoming even sorer.

"Please." She said softly and he then sat next to her and they both turned. "What if my waters break everywhere?" Zoë questioned as she glanced back to him.

"It doesn't matter sweetheart." Horatio said softly as his delicate hands began to work their magic and Zoë began to relax a little.

"What if they break all over the sofa?" She questioned frantically before she bit her lip.

"Firstly it wouldn't matter at all sweetheart, we can wash these things, secondly… Val doesn't think they'll break until we get to the hospital anyway." Horatio said calmly and she nodded as she looked into his calm eyes.

"What if they break when we get to the hospital? People will think that I've wet myself." She said as she looked round to him and he could see the panic setting in for her. '_I knew she'd start to panic.'_ Horatio thought to himself while he kept his expression soft and tender.

"People can clearly see that you're pregnant Zoë, it won't matter people won't take notice, even if it does happen in front of others, they'll know that it's your waters breaking. You do know that when your waters break, it isn't usually a flood of fluid that just falls out of you, don't you? It's usually a lot slower." Horatio asked softly.

"I stopped reading that part because it scared me. I didn't want to know exactly what I was getting into. I read something online and it freaked me out, it was saying like how everything is the worst pain imaginable and that you poo yourself and stuff and I didn't want to read that as I knew I'd get really nervous before going to the hospital, like now. I shouldn't have read it." Zoë said softly as she looked up at him and he nodded with a warm smile. "The book also had loads of pictures with fannies and what looked like wee and I didn't like it. I don't want to be looking at other peoples fannies, I'm not a fan of looking at my own. I know I'm going to have to suck it up though and I know that dignity is the last thing on the list when it comes to giving birth." She said and his facial expression softened more as he chuckled lightly and nodded. He was happy that she knew that dignity wasn't a priority, but he also knew that it wouldn't stop her from worrying about the small things. "I should have brought a less graphic book." She said softly as she looked at him and then bit her lip.

"You could have borrowed mine; I didn't get the graphic book." Horatio smiled softly and she giggled lightly as she nodded.

"Have you read everything?" She asked and Horatio nodded.

"I know what's going on, I feel properly prepared, don't worry sweetheart. I'm with you all the way." He said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile and visibly relaxed.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly and then placed her hands over her belly as she looked back to the TV and exhaled heavily.

"Another one?" Horatio asked and she nodded before he glanced up at the clock.

"Can I sit between your legs please?" She asked softly and he nodded. He moved and then let her move to sit between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands against her belly.

"What if my waters break on you?!" She asked before she sat back. She then moved forwards again and looked back to him which caused him to let go of her stomach.

"Sweetheart, stop worrying, it'll all be fine, I promise you. It doesn't matter if they do break and it goes on me, it's amniotic fluid, it's not going to do me harm. It's what our girls have been living in for the past 9 months." Horatio said softly with a gentle smile.

"You wouldn't be grossed out?" She asked as she lowered her eyebrows and he shook his head with his gentle smile still remaining on his face. "But I'd essentially be peeing on you." She said as she frowned at him more and he could see the look of disgust on her face.

"You're not essentially peeing on me, it's a completely different liquid and it's coming from a different place. Just sit back sweetheart and relax. I promise you it'll be fine." Horatio said softly as he rubbed her back. She exhaled and then nodded and moved slowly to sit back against him. He pulled the t-shirt up and began to slowly rub her stomach lightly while she rested her head on his shoulder. She began to doze quite quickly but was woken when another contraction hit. She moved her head and looked up at him with a small tired smile.

"Did you feel that?" She asked Horatio and he nodded with a smile. Once Zoë's contractions were 10 minutes apart they decided it was best to get ready.

"Can you go and put everything in my bag please, and don't forget your stuff." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded. Zoë went to the loo again and then got herself another drink of water. She then waddled into the study and picked up the iPad and walked out just as Horatio came down the stairs with 3 bags. "Can you put this in my bag as well please?" She asked and he nodded and then put it in safely. "Is there snacks in there?" She asked and Horatio shook his head with a gentle smile.

"I was just about to get them." He said softly and Zoë nodded as she leant against the wall as another contraction hit.

"If the contractions are like this through the labour then I'll be perfectly fine." She smiled softly and he smiled softly but also a little falsely.

"Some women do only get mild contractions throughout labour, but most do get it worse… a lot worse." Horatio said, wanting to support her, but also wanting to let her know subtly that it may not be all as she thinks. She nodded at him and then stood under her own weight again as she took a deep breath.

"I can't believe I'm going into labour Horatio, I can't believe it's been nearly 9 months, I can't believe it. That Saturday night we conceived is still so fresh in my memories, it feels as if it was only a few weeks ago." She said softly with a dreamy smile as she thought back to it and felt herself becoming hot again.

"I know sweetheart, I remember it just like yesterday too, and when we found out you were pregnant." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I can't believe it still Horatio, I'm about to have two baby girls, our baby girls." She said as she looked at him softly. He then dropped the bags when he saw her head fall forwards. He quickly steadied her as she became very unbalanced on her feet. He held on to her until she lifted her head again with a happy smile. She then frowned mildly when she saw the worried expression on his face and realised that he was holding her up.

"I'm sorry, did I black out?" She asked and Horatio nodded. "But I'm not really stressed." She said looking confused.

"Perhaps it's extreme excitement? Extreme nerves?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she pressed her lips together. '_He must be right.'_ Zoë thought to herself as she took a gentle hold of his upper arms. "Okay, come and sit down while I get the car sorted sweetheart." He said softly and she nodded and then walked into the living room with him. She sat down and Horatio got the car ready and put everything they'd need on board. He walked back in, leaving the front door wide open and then helped Zoë up.

"Can I go to the loo one last time please?" She asked and Horatio nodded. He stood outside the bathroom door with his eyes on the front door and felt the cool breeze enter through the house while he quickly rang Val to notify her of their arrival very soon. He turned as Zoë opened the bathroom door and then linked arms with her and supported her out. He made sure the lights were off and they slowly made their way to the front door when they saw Joe walking up the path.

"Hey, everything okay?" He asked as he rushed in and took her other arm and helped her out, both Zoë and Horatio could see the concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah, we're off to the hospital now." Zoë said softly.

"Why? Are you okay?" He asked frantically as he looked at her.

"Well, at the end of pregnancy, there's something called labour and giving birth, that's what I'm experiencing now… I'm fine, Joe, don't worry." She said softly with a cheeky smile. Horatio pulled the door shut as Joe began to chuckle as he looked at her and relaxed.

"Sorry darling, I didn't think. Are you actually in labour now?" he asked and she nodded and then pulled her arm from his hands and rubbed her stomach as she got another contraction but carried on walking over to the car with Horatio.

"Could you please let Kaitlin know that I've gone into labour, tell her I'm fine, tell her I've gone to the hospital so won't be calling or anything and then tell her that Horatio will call after I've given birth, but if it's early hours of the morning, we'll ring around about 7AM." She said softly and Joe nodded with a smile.

"Can you ring me as soon as possible? Even if it's 3AM?" Joe asked as he looked at her with an excitable smile.

"Okay Bunny, we'll ring as soon as we can." She said softly and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, good luck both of you, my thoughts are with you, and pre-congratulations!" He said as he opened the car door for them.

"Thank you Bunny, we'll see you soon." She said softly as she hugged him.

"See you soon, you can do this, even those who aren't here are still with you okay? Just remember that." He said softly and she nodded as she backed off and quickly wiped her eyes. They quickly kissed each other's cheeks and then she got into the car with Horatio's help. "See you later, much love to you and both Ella and Isobel." He said before he closed the door and backed off just as Horatio turned the key in the ignition. The engine came alive and once ready, they pulled off. Joe waved them off and then walked home again as Zoë pulled her phone out and rang Eric.

"Hey sweetie, are you busy?" She asked softly as Horatio reached over and placed his hand on her thigh.

"Hey Zoë, not too busy at the moment, is everything okay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, everything is great. I'm just ringing you to let you know that we're on our way to hospital now as I'm in labour, if you could just let everyone know we'd be grateful, thank you." She said softly as she looked over to Horatio with a smile.

"Of course, good luck Zoë, our thoughts are all with you and we all send you and H our best wishes." Eric said softly.

"Thank you sweetie, if I give birth during the night or early morning, we're going to wait until about 7 to call people, we're only going to call you and Alexx at the lab, so if you guys could then call others or tell them tomorrow at work, we'd be most grateful." Zoë said softly as she placed her other hand on Horatio's hand on her thigh.

"Of course, good luck, if you need anything, call me." He said softly.

"Thank you sweetie." She said softly before they hung up. She then called Alexx but her phone went through to voicemail. Horatio and Zoë parked up at the hospital and then got out together. They walked down to the entrance after Horatio had picked up all of the bags from the car. He quickly got a wheelchair and gently helped Zoë into it as another contraction hit her. He quickly then walked in with her and headed over to maternity.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Horatio asked with his secret smile as a warm energy grew inside of him.

"Excited and nervous at the moment really." She said softly and Horatio nodded as she looked up at him. "I can't believe this is happening, Horatio." She said as she looked back to where they were going. They arrived at maternity and quickly checked in. A nurse walked over to them with a bright smile and Zoë looked up at her. Zoë initially frowned and looked at the young blonde.


	12. Chapter 12

**Warning: strong language in this chapter!**

**Chapter 12 **

"Summer?" Zoë asked as she looked up at the nurse.

"Hi Zoë, I bet you didn't think you'd see me here, did you?" She smiled warmly and Zoë shook her head as she frowned at her and then looked back to Horatio who also had a confused frown on his face. Zoë then looked back to the young woman and looked down at her dark blue scrubs. Zoë swallowed as she took a deep breath and tried to push away her growing anxiety.

"What are you doing here? I didn't know you worked here…" Zoë said quietly as she looked up at her.

"I'm a nurse and I work here alongside the midwives. Doctor Taylor had me and a few other nurses join some of your prenatal classes to get you to know us before today. You might recognise another two nurses, Emma and Jamie. They're also on hand, however, Jamie is on the nightshift." She smiled sweetly.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Zoë asked as she began to relax slightly.

"Nope, Doctor Taylor arranged it with us a while back. If you'd like to follow me, I'll take you to your delivery suite." She smiled warmly before she turned around and began to walk. Horatio began to smile secretly as he followed the nurse while Zoë calmed herself down. '_I'll have to get in touch with Nathan soon and thank him. This is going to make it so much easier on Zoë and on me.'_ Horatio thought to himself as Zoë looked up at him with a small smile, he could still see her worry though.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Zoë. She's lovely, remember her from that birthing-technique class?" Horatio asked and Zoë nodded as she swallowed and then looked back to the nurse as she stopped by a door and opened it. "Thank you." Horatio said warmly as he wheeled Zoë into the delivery room. Summer, the nurse then walked in after them with a bright smile and a file under her arm.

"Zoë I understand that you have some anxieties, we're aware of that and we're going to try our best to accommodate your wishes. Am I correct in thinking that Val is your midwife?" she asked warmly and Zoë nodded. "Okay, she'll be through in a moment to give you the initial check-up. Is there anything I can get either of you while you wait?" She asked warmly. Zoë quietly shook her head as she blinked up at the blonde, still battling with her anxiety even though she knew Summer.

"Thank you, Summer." Horatio said warmly as he placed his hand on Zoë's shoulder with a gentle smile.

"If you'd like to get up on the bed for me please, Zoë. I'll go and inform Val that you're here now." She said warmly and Zoë nodded. She slowly got up out of the wheelchair with Horatio's help.

"Val will be through in a moment." She said warmly as she took hold of the wheelchair and then walked out with it with a bright smile. Zoë looked over to Horatio and swallowed as she took a deep breath just as she leant against the bed.

"Sweetheart, you know Summer. Why are you having a problem even looking at her?" Horatio asked warmly.

"It's not her… it's her uniform... I know she's a nurse." Zoë said quietly as she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Horatio closer to her to stand between her legs with his belly against hers.

"Okay sweetheart, how about we look at it like this. You know we don't pass judgement on people in the outside world, especially when on the job, we look past what they look like and what they're wearing don't we? So we can keep our heads clear and focus purely on the case so we're not subjective in our investigations, yes?" He asked warmly as he placed his palm against her cheek and she nodded quietly as she looked up at him. "Well, let's try that now. Let's try and look past the uniform and her title and look at the person instead. She's a very kind lady. She's not going to hurt you." Horatio said warmly as he looked into her eyes and she nodded again with a determined look in her eyes.

"Okay, sorry. Thank you Horatio… that might work." She said warmly and Horatio nodded with a smile as he ran his thumb over her cheek bone. "What's the time?" She asked warmly and he glanced to his watch as she placed her hands on his waist.

"It's 4.30PM sweetheart." Horatio said warmly and she nodded and then moved her hands up to his chest then to his shoulders where she pulled him down and placed a delicate kiss on his lips. They broke the kiss a few minutes later when there was a knock at the door. Horatio stood up straight and looked over to the door as Zoë did and then smiled as Val walked in.

"Hi Zoë, Horatio." She said warmly as she entered and then closed the door for privacy.

"Hi Val." Zoë smiled warmly at her.

"So today is the big day. How are you feeling?" She asked as she walked over to them and gently placed her hand on Zoë's upper arm.

"We're good. We're a little nervous and such, but we're really good thank you." She said as another contraction hit her but she managed to talk through it.

"I see you're still able to talk through them?" Val asked, referring to the contractions and Zoë nodded as she lightly smiled up at Val and took a hold of one of Horatio's hands. "How far apart are they?" Val asked warmly and Zoë looked up at to Horatio as her mind went blank.

"About 7 minutes apart." Horatio said warmly and Val nodded.

"Okay Zoë, could we please get you to lie back on the bed and pull your jogging bottoms down, I need to see how many centimetres you're dilated if you're dilated at all." She said warmly and Zoë nodded before she sat back as Val drew a curtain around the bed.

"Is that why my fanny is hurting?" Zoë asked and Val smiled at her in slight amusement.

"More than likely, Zoë." She smiled warmly as she pulled on some gloves.

"I apologise if I'm not exactly tidy down there, it's been a few months since I actually saw myself, I've asked Horatio, but you know what men are like." Zoe said softly and Val chuckled.

"Believe me Zoë, there are things I've seen that are a lot worse than what you can throw at me." She said softly as she pulled the stool over to the end of the bed. "And your underwear please Zoë." Val said warmly and Zoë swallowed as she looked at Val with a hesitant expression.

"Do I have to?" Zoë asked as she lowered her eyebrows.

"Well, unless you had planned on giving birth through your ear, I think your underwear needs to come off." Val said sarcastically with a smile and Zoë began to giggle before she pulled her underwear off and moved into position for Val. "Okay don't panic, Zoë. I'll talk you through what I'm doing." She said confidently and Zoë nodded as she took hold of Horatio's hand. She looked up at Horatio and concentrated on him while Val fiddled around with her.

"Okay, it looks like you're about 2cms dilated, you've got a long way to go yet sugar." Val said warmly as she pulled back and then pulled her gloves back off. Zoë quickly pulled her underwear back up and on with her jogging bottoms following.

"Okay Zoë, can I ask you to either put on one of our rather dashing gowns, or a gown that you've brought for yourself? You will have to change into our gowns a little later though, okay? Now we need to get you attached to a few machines." Val said warmly as she picked up a few things.

"What? Why?" Zoë asked as she swallowed and frowned at Val.

"We just want to keep an eye on your heart and pulse rate. Now I have warned you that if anything becomes worrying during this labour, we will have to perform a caesarean." Val said warmly and Zoë swallowed again as she nodded.

"I really don't want a caesarean, Val. Please." Zoë begged.

"Sometimes these things have to be done Zoë. It's nothing to worry about, you've elected to be awake during the procedure should we have to perform it. But you're at a risk of complications because of your heart and because you're having twins. Now, from experience, I will say that there is nothing to worry about. But the unexpected can happen which is why we've got precautions in place, okay? You're probably going to have to have an epidural too, I know you don't want one, and I will try and hold off for as long as I can, but I can't wait too long and if I suspect that you're in too much pain, I'm going to have to really advise you have it. If you don't have it, there's a risk that we'll lose you and even perhaps the babies if your heart can't take it. I know I've been through this with you before, I'm just reminding you, okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded. "You're doing really well Zoë. I just need to take a few observations, then I'll introduce you to a couple of people later, okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded as she made herself a little more comfortable on the bed. Zoë still wasn't happy about the thought of a caesarean, it was very clear that she was anxious about the whole ordeal but Horatio knew she trusted Val so wasn't too worried about it.

"Thank you." Horatio said sincerely and she nodded at him too. He knew that they really were doing everything they could to help them through the situation.

"Okay Zoë, I'm just going to step behind the curtain to allow you to change, then I'll put your drip in." Val said warmly and Zoë then nodded before the midwife stepped behind the curtain. Zoë quickly changed into one of the gowns she'd packed and then called Val back.

"I'm just going to attach an ECG monitor to you, a pulse oximeter and hook you up to an IV to get some fluids into you too, okay? Nothing is going to hurt, you'll feel a slight pinch with the cannula, but it won't harm you, just like when I take your blood, okay?" Val asked warmly and Zoë looked over to her looking a lot more relaxed.

"Do you have to? I mean, I need to get up and walk around, I cannot stay in this bed for hours waiting to burst. I can't do that with an ECG." Zoë asked sweetly as she tilted her head.

"Okay, but I'm putting the pulse oximeter on and you've got to have the drip, but you can walk around with that. You must keep the pulse oximeter on, okay? We will have to put you on an ECG a little later though, okay?" She asked warmly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Thank you Val." Zoë smiled as she relaxed back and allowed Val to put the line in before putting the pulse oximeter on Zoë's finger.

"Are you comfortable?" She asked and Zoë nodded as she was hit with another contraction.

"Please don't tell me it's going to take all night?" Zoë asked and Val gave her a gentle smile.

"It might do, it might not. We never know. Hopefully you'll be quick though. I think you'll give birth in the early hours of the morning." She said warmly and Zoë nodded with a light sigh. '_I do not want to be in labour all night…'_ She thought to herself as she glanced over to Horatio who was thinking the same thing and that he didn't want Zoë to go through it for such a long time.

"What if my waters break on the bed?" Zoë asked softly as she looked to Val.

"Don't worry about that at all, if you just push the button, we'll get you changed and everything when that happens, I don't think they'll be breaking just yet though, that's from experience, but all women are different." Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Thank you." Zoë said softly before she pressed her lips together.

"Okay Zoë, is there anything else I can do, any questions I can answer? Horatio, the same goes for you." She said warmly as she gave them both a wide natural smile.

"I'm good thank you." Zoë replied warmly and Val then nodded before she looked to Horatio.

"No thank you." Horatio said warmly and she nodded.

"Okay, just push that button if you want anything, I'll be back to check on your progress." She said warmly and Zoë then nodded as she pulled the curtain back and exited the room. Zoë then looked over to Horatio and he smiled at her and then placed his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"I'm feeling much better about this now. Thank you Horatio." She said as she reached over for his hand and took a light hold of him. "Can you please pass me my phone, I just want to text Nathan to say thanks for subtly introducing the nurses to me in case they're needed." Zoë said warmly and Horatio then nodded with a gentle smile and pulled her phone from the bag.

"_Hi Nathan, I've just gone into labour, thank you so much for what you've done. Thank you for subtly introducing the nurses to me! It's made all the difference. You're such a star. Thank you. Zoë x" _She sent him the text and then put her phone on the side. She then held her belly again and exhaled as she closed her eyes. Horatio lightly rubbed her upper arm while she experienced the contraction.

"You're doing so well." Horatio said warmly and she then looked up at him with a tender smile once the contraction was over. She then turned and dangled her legs off the bed. "Are you okay sweetheart?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she took a deep breath.

"I feel more comfortable moving about." She said softly as she rubbed her belly and Horatio nodded. "Can I have my slippers please? I don't want my Vans getting wet or dirty or anything." She said softly and Horatio nodded and then pulled her slippers from the bag for her. She let him take her shoes off and put her slippers on as she rubbed her belly before having a quick walk around the room before getting back onto the bed and putting the TV on and watching with Horatio as he sat on the bed too. Zoë had to get up many times to walk about and to go to the loo. Horatio had noticed that she was becoming increasingly agitated, but tried his best to keep her calm.

"Can we go for a proper walk please? I'm getting more and more uncomfortable and I'm getting sick of this room." Zoë said a couple of hours later as she rubbed her stomach and he nodded.

"Put a dressing gown on sweetheart and we'll go and get some air perhaps?" Horatio asked and Zoë nodded. He then put the dressing gown on over her and walked out with her.

"Summer, we're just going for a walk, is that okay?" Zoë said as they passed the desk and she nodded with a bright smile.

"Okay." She smiled and Zoë smiled back and then continued waddling with Horatio as she linked arms with him.

"Take it slowly sweetheart." Horatio said and she nodded as she exhaled a steady breath.

"I tell you what, you are so lucky to be a man; these contractions are just getting worse." She exhaled as she rubbed her stomach when another contraction hit. He looked over to her with a gentle smile and began to lightly rub her back as he changed hands. "What time is it?" She asked as she exhaled a steady long breath.

"7.30PM." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"We could have stayed home, why did Val want me in so early?" She asked as she looked up at Horatio with tired eyes.

"You know it's necessary sweetheart." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a sigh.

"Ouch, ow, ow." She whined as she stopped and placed her hands over her belly while she screwed her face up.

"That kick was painful… I swear one of them just broke a rib." She said softly and Horatio smiled and then rubbed her belly with a tender smile to try and make it feel better.

"Wow, one of them is really squirming around in there." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded as she raised her eyebrows as she looked back up at him and took a hold of his jacket with one of her hands.

"She's not stopped moving at all, other baby is sleeping I think." Zoë said softly and Horatio smiled with a nod as he continued to lightly rub her belly as she held onto him and took a few deep breaths. "Oh no, other baby is waking up, probably because her sister kicked her." Zoë said softly as she rubbed her stomach too and Horatio chuckled. "I don't want to go outside, can we just go back now, my back is really hurting." She said and Horatio nodded.

"Of course sweetheart, take it slowly." Horatio said warmly as he took her hand again and gave her the support she needed as they turned and began to walk back.

"What if I have to have a C-section for some reason? I really don't want one Horatio." She said as she looked up at him with panicked eyes. He looked back to her with soft eyes himself to try and keep her as calm as he could.

"Hopefully you won't sweetheart, but if it has to be done then it has to be done. I'll be with you at every step." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she took a deep breath and he could see her becoming quite stressed and a little agitated.

"What if they're unhealthy or have problems with breathing or they have a heart problem?" Zoë questioned as she looked back up at him.

"That's why there will be paediatricians on stand-by, Val knows what she's doing as well, they are in the best hands, really. Sophie, Nathan's sister will probably be there if needed too. They'll probably be absolutely fine though sweetheart, even if there is a small problem, there is a fantastic team on hand." Horatio said softly.

"What if there's a problem with me? What if my heart doesn't take it? What if my life is threatened as well as theirs?" Zoë questioned as she furrowed her brow. Horatio knew she was beginning to wind herself up and create scenarios in her mind.

"That's why we're here early sweetheart and why you're probably going to have to have the epidural, but Val seems pretty confident so there is no need to worry. You'll be fine and so will our daughters." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she took a tight grip of his hand and looked down to the floor. He knew she was still worrying and so began to lightly rub her back as they walked. "We're all going to be fine, we'll hopefully be leaving the hospital this time tomorrow, perhaps even earlier with Isobel and Ella in our arms." Horatio said softly and she looked up at him with a smile and nodded.

"Zoë, Horatio?" A familiar female voice called. They both turned around and saw Alexx making her way over to them. Zoë leant against Horatio as she placed her hands on his hips when they stopped.

"Hi Alexx." Zoë said softly while she rested her head against Horatio's shoulder and Alexx smiled at both her and Horatio.

"You called? I panicked when Eric said you had gone into labour and I had a missed call from you. I rang you back as soon as I could but I didn't get an answer from either of you, I thought something was wrong." Alexx said softly with worry evident on her face.

"I'm good, I called to let you know that we were going to the hospital and that I was in labour." She said softly and Alexx nodded as she let out a tense breath and began to relax.

"How's it going?" Alexx asked softly as she placed her hand on one of Zoë's upper arms.

"Good, I'm 2cm dilated at the moment probably more now, so we think we're in for a wait. My fanny is really hurting so I think I'm more." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"How's the pain?" Alexx asked warmly as Horatio rubbed her belly and held her other arm while she continued with her grip on Horatio's waist.

"It's okay, the contractions are getting increasingly more painful, but it's nothing I can't handle." She said and Alexx nodded and then watched Zoë's face tighten as another contraction started. Zoë groaned as she looked back to Horatio and pulled him closer as she pressed her face up against his chest and heavily exhaled. She took a few deep breaths and allowed the contraction to ease before she released Horatio a little and gave him space.

"You're doing really well sweetheart." Horatio said warmly as he rubbed her belly again and gave Alexx a gentle smile.

"Would you like some company?" Alexx asked softly and Zoë looked back to her with a gentle smile.

"I'm really sorry Alexx, I hate to sound like a bitch, but I really don't. I just want Horatio with me. But thank you." Zoë said softly before she pressed her lips together and tried to stand up straight to stretch her back.

"You don't sound like a bitch at all, that's perfectly understandable, good luck both of you, let me know when you give birth, please?" Alexx asked softly.

"Certainly, if it happens after midnight, we'll call in the morning." Zoë said warmly and Alexx nodded with a gentle smile.

"Okay baby girl, good luck, you'll be fine. My thoughts are with you both." She said as she rubbed Zoë's back as she gave her a smile and a nod. Alexx walked away and pulled her phone out as Horatio and Zoë turned and slowly walked back to her room. They got themselves comfortable again and Zoë relaxed back with Horatio again for a few more hours while they kept themselves occupied. They looked up from the iPad when there was a knock at the door and saw Val enter with a bright smile.

"Hi Zoë, I'm just going to check how much dilated you are again, if that's okay." Val said softly and Zoë did as she instructed.

"You're 3cm and coming along nicely, I've just got to take some obs now and I'll be out of your hair if it's all good, okay?" Val asked and they nodded. She quickly left when she felt that Zoë was doing well. Zoë got herself up and walked around the room a little, her agitation was only elevating as she became more uncomfortable and the contractions were getting stronger.

"Can we go and ask if I can have a shower?" Zoë asked softly as she leant against the bed and looked over to Horatio with pleading eyes, she could feel herself sweating slightly which only made her more uncomfortable.

"We can just push the button." Horatio said softly as he picked up the control.

"No, I want to walk." She said and Horatio nodded and then got up and took hold of her arm to give her some support. He walked out with her and the nurse said that she could. They walked back together while Zoë had another contraction that stopped her in her tracks but carried on after it had eased.

"Can you join me in the shower please?" She asked and Horatio nodded once they'd got into the room. Horatio put a pair of shorts on in case Val had to check up on her or in case of an emergency and other staff had to attend. He gave her a back massage while they stood in the shower as Zoë leant against the wall and looked down at the floor.

"Oh gosh." She said as she turned and placed her hands on his shoulders as she experienced another contraction.

"You're doing really well, just breathe deeply. In time with me." Horatio said warmly as he rubbed her back and began to breathe deeply with her so she could concentrate on his breathing rather than entirely on the pain. Once the contraction was over with, she turned back to the wall so he could massage her back again.

"This fucking hurts Horatio, I hope you understand that." She grumbled as she tightened her hands into fists.

"I know it does sweetheart, I do understand that, you're doing really well." Horatio encouraged softly as he continued with massaging her.

"How can you understand when you've never experienced two babies try and force themselves out of your vagina! Imagine them pushing themselves out of your penis, that would fucking hurt, wouldn't it? Sure, it's easy for some stuff to come out and plant two babies _inside _me, but try getting anything bigger out of it, and you'd be crying on the floor!" she snapped as she looked back to him and clenched her teeth in pain.

"Sweetheart, I understand that you're in more pain than I can ever imagine, I really do." Horatio replied softly as he gently ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek as she nodded.

"I'm sorry." She apologised as she fully turned and wrapped her arms around him. Once finished she changed into another night gown and Horatio changed his shirt but kept his trousers on after they had finished showering. He sat on the edge of her bed and gave her legs a massage as well as a stomach massage, he did anything he could to try and make Zoë more comfortable, which she was very grateful for. A few more hours passed with Val coming in while they relaxed with each other.

They looked back over to the door when Val knocked and entered again to check on her.

"Good news is that you're now in active labour, you're 5cm dilated and the contractions may be starting to get a little stronger and longer now, yes?" She asked and Zoë nodded while Val snapped her gloves off. "Okay, I need you to calm down a little for me please, you're doing well Zoe." She said softly when she saw the nerves and agitation in Zoë's eyes.

"Nice long deep breaths sweetheart, you're doing really well." Horatio said softly as he sat on the edge of her bed and began to play with her hair. Zoë nodded and looked up at him as Val moved to feel Zoë's stomach with a tender smile.

"I'm just going to take your blood pressure and take an ECG recording, okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded and allowed Val to do what she wanted before she backed off with a slightly concerned expression.

"Zoë, I strongly urge you to have an epidural now, I can't wait any longer. I'm concerned with the amount of pain you're in and your blood pressure is rising a lot more than I'd like. Without it, there is a chance that you could die which would put the babies lives in danger too." Val said firmly.

"I could die and put the babies in danger?" Zoë questioned and the midwife nodded, she then looked over to Horatio.

"Please have it, Zoë, there's no shame in having some painkiller." Horatio begged her as he gripped her hand using both of his.

"Yeah, give it to me then." She said as she looked back to Val who nodded and pulled out her phone to ring for an anaesthetist to perform the epidural. "It's not going to make me go funny in the head, is it?" she questioned Val who shook her head and then began to explain exactly what an epidural entails.

XXXXXXXX

An hour and a half later, the feeling in Zoë's legs had returned to near enough normal and the pain was considerably less in everything from her waist down.

"I'll be back in about 45 minutes, call me if you need anything and if the contractions get considerably worse, you call me straight away, okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded as she laid back in the bed and felt another contraction hit and focussed on the ceiling as she controlled her breathing as Val left.

"What time is it?" Zoë asked Horatio when the contraction eased.

"11PM." Horatio said softly as he played with her hair and gave her a loving smile as he bent down and placed a delicate kiss on her forehead.

"This is going to be the longest night of our lives." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with smile as he perched himself on the bed a little closer to her.

"But one of the best nights of our lives too." He smiled and she smiled back up at him with a nod.

"I love you." She said as she reached up and stroked his cheek with affection pouring from her eyes.

"I love you too, you're doing so well." Horatio said softly as he leant down and kissed her lightly on the lips a few times. He felt her relax more and then smiled warmly at her when they broke from the kiss. "Try and keep your breathing steady, don't panic sweetheart, you are doing really well." Horatio said softly as he ran his hand over her belly.

"I'm still worried about dropping them or something when I hold them." Zoë said softly.

"You won't sweetheart, I promise you, you're going to be perfectly fine." Horatio assured her with a genuine smile and Zoë nodded as she ran her hand through his hair and then got up off the bed to walk around a little more. They kept themselves occupied, Zoë split her time between the bed and walking about the room.

XXXXXXXX

At 4AM Zoë let out a very loud moan as she held her stomach with one hand. She crushed Horatio's hand with her tight grip.

"They're getting worse, fucking do something Horatio!" She groaned as she got up and began pacing again once the contraction had eased. She continued to keep her breathing steady while she moved about.

"Val will be back in a moment sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he walked around the bed and began to rub her back as she leant against the bed as another contraction ripped through her body. She pressed her lips and teeth together at the peak and tensed her body.

"I didn't expect them to get this bad." She said after the contraction had eased. She turned to Horatio and placed her hands on his biceps and took a tight grip of his arms as she used him for support.

"Do something, please!" She commanded him as she gritted her teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

"Why can't you get them out of me now?" Zoë questioned him but he just shook his head and didn't know what to day. "You put them there, you get them out, please!" Zoë begged him as he slowly raised a hand to cup her cheek but she pulled her head away.

"I'm not a midwife, sweetheart. Just take some deep breaths, nice deep breaths sweetheart." He said warmly as he looked into her eyes.

"Where's Val?!" She questioned firmly. '_7 fucking centimetres is plenty enough to get them out, surely? I'm sure I'm ready now!_' Zoë thought to herself.

"She'll be here very soon sweetheart." Horatio assured her.

"Can you rub my back again please?" She asked and Horatio nodded. He began to rub her back as she continuously moved but still leant against the bed, she mainly paced from side to side on her legs. Another contraction hit a few minutes later and she groaned as she took two fistfuls of the bed sheet and looked down.

"Do something Horatio, please." She begged him as she took a deep breath and then turned to Horatio and took hold of his shirt as she looked up at him with very tired eyes.

"Val will be in in a few minutes. Is your back really hurting?" Horatio said softly as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"What the fuck do you think?" She questioned as she looked over to him and he nodded while she took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry handsome." She apologised before she swallowed and looked down.

"Don't apologise beautiful, it's fine, it really is. Right now I don't care what sort of language you use." Horatio said warmly with a small smile and she lightly giggled as she looked down at his shirt.

"Why don't we try and get you on your hands and knees on the bed and I give you a back massage, apparently it's really effective?" Horatio asked and she shook her head. "It's worth a try sweetheart." Horatio said warmly and she looked up at him with a nod before she leant fully against him as another contraction hit.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I'm sorry Zoë, I had to take a call. Could you get onto the bed please?" Val asked as she entered again and Zoë nodded against Horatio's chest. She took a few moments to allow the contraction to ease while she focussed on her breathing and allowed Horatio's scent to engulf her senses. She began to move away from Horatio when her body fell as she suddenly lost consciousness. Horatio quickly caught her as his heart rate doubled.

"Zoë? Zoë?!" Horatio asked loudly and then looked up to Val as she rushed over.

"Okay, get her onto the bed gently." Val said softly as she bent down and picked up Zoë's legs. Both she and Horatio moved her over to the bed and laid her down. Val quickly took her pulse and looked down at the pulse oximeter before she pressed the button to call for help. She then quickly pulled her night gown up and put the ECG pads on her chest and quickly attached the leads as Summer walked in and Val explained to her what to do while Horatio stood back and ran his hands through his hair. Summer quickly took over attaching the ECG pads while Val began to check Zoë's eyes and made sure her airways were clear.

"What's going on is she okay? Tell me she's okay, please!" Horatio questioned frantically as he stood by the bed watching as his heart palpated fast and strongly in his chest.

"Yeah, I think she's just passed out Horatio, don't panic. Just take a step back and a deep breath for me please honey." Val said softly and Horatio obeyed her but made sure he kept his eyes firmly on Zoë.

"Zoë, can you hear me?" Val asked loudly and clearly as she rubbed Zoë's sternum while Summer checked the heart monitor.

"Mmm" Zoe groaned quietly before she took a deep breath.

"Okay sugar it's Val, you've just passed out, I've got you on the ECG monitor now, okay?" She said softly and Zoe nodded slowly as she opened her eyes and squinted while she blinked a few times.

"Horatio." She called softly and Val stepped away and let Horatio step up. She gave him a reassuring smile and nod.

"You're doing really well sweetheart." Horatio said as he bent over her and placed his forehead next to hers as he looked into her eyes. He felt her place her hands on the sides of his chest as she took a few more deep breaths.

"Zoë, I'm just going to check how you're getting on down there, okay?" Val said softly as she lifted Zoë's legs. Zoë groaned loudly as another contraction hit and she pulled Horatio down onto her and took two fistfuls of his shirt as she held him against her tightly. "Okay, Zoë you're in the transition phase now, you're going to want to push soon." Val said softly and she nodded as she took deep breaths and let Horatio go as she continued with her deep breathing.

"Sorry." Zoe apologised to Horatio as she literally squeezed him, he just gave her a nod and kissed her forehead again before he ran his thumbs over her cheeks. Val then snapped her gloves off and walked over to Summer.

"Summer, put everyone on stand-by and ring theatre just in case, I think we might have to perform a caesarean, don't mention anything now though, I don't want to panic Zoë. I'll tell her if we're going to go ahead with it, okay?" Val asked Summer quietly and Summer nodded as she walked out and made a few phone calls but quickly returned. Val looked up at the ECG which seemed to be okay and then quickly took her blood pressure which was a little high. Zoe continued to breathe deeply until another contraction hit and she pulled on Horatio again. She gripped his wrist and focused on his wedding ring to get through the pain.

"That's it beautiful, you're doing really well. Concentrate on your breathing too. Nice deep breaths." Horatio said as he focused on her eyes to see the intense concentration she had channelled into looking at his ring. The contraction began to ease as Zoë released Horatio and then looked over to Val.

"Zoë, the room is going to get quite busy in a little while okay, but it's nothing to worry about. Try not to panic." Val said warmly and Zoë nodded as she looked up at Horatio again. "You have to try and remain calm once the babies are born too, Zoë. They're going to be very quickly checked over once they're out, but they will be given to you as soon as possible. We'll probably place them on your tummy and chest okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded again. "You're doing really well Zoë, would you like some gas and air?" Val asked and she nodded as another contraction hit hard. Summer immediately got on that and gave Zoë the breathing tube once she re-entered the room. Zoë began to breathe heavily on it as she held Horatio's hand and looked up at him with a pained frown.

"You're doing really well beautiful, I'm so proud of you." Horatio said softly as he began to play with her hair as he bent down closer. "Just remember that we're going to have them with us very soon." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she then grabbed his shirt again and pulled him closer at the height of the contraction. She breathed heavily and looked into his eyes as his forehead made contact with hers. She focused on his eyes and then released him just as the contraction faded again. She moved her hand from his shirt to his hand again and interlocked her fingers with his. "Keep it up Zoë, you're doing so well." Horatio said softly as he began to play with her hair again and she relaxed as she nodded while she continued to look at him. She then sat up straight as she threw the gas and air tube to the bed.

"I'm going to vomit." She said as she went to cover her mouth and began to breathe heavily. "I'm actually going to be sick, right now!" she said loudly as she began to retch.

Summer quickly picked up a sick bowl and began to rush over to the other side of the bed where she was leaning towards but didn't make it in time. Horatio very quickly stepped back out of the path of vomit as Zoë spewed most of her stomach contents up. The nurse then placed the bowl under Zoë's chin and she continued to throw up.

Horatio turned to look at Zoë's bag but maintained contact with her as he reached in and pulled the mouthwash from the bag. Horatio then pulled some tissues from the side as the nurse dealt with the bowl of sick as the other began to clean up the sick that had gone right across the room. Horatio quickly wiped her mouth and handed her a capful of mouthwash as he knew she'd go ballistic if she didn't at least have mouthwash. He placed a sick bowl under her chin and she spat the mouthwash out as she held it. He then handed her another capful and she did the same thing. Horatio then handed the bowl to the returning nurse who disposed of it.

"Thank you." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio and he nodded with a smile as he rubbed her back as another contraction came.

"I'm so sorry." She apologised to Summer while she continued to clean up the sick.

"Don't worry, I'm quite impressed with that actually, that was definitely the furthest any projectile vomit has got that I've seen. If you were in a contest, you would have won hands down." She smiled naturally at Zoë and Zoë began to giggle lightly. She quickly stopped when a few more people entered and Zoë looked at them all with a frown. She looked back to Horatio as she began to breathe rapidly.

"Don't worry sweetheart, try and stay calm." Horatio said warmly and Zoë took his hand while she looked up at him.

"You're doing well Zoë, you know Heather, she's your obgyn. Things are looking good at the moment and I think we're going to have quite a quick birth." Val said warmly as she smiled gently at Zoë. Zoë looked back to her and nodded with a small smile, but it was clear she was slightly panicked by the number of people in the room, most of whom were just standing around, waiting for something bad to happen. She looked up at Horatio and into his eyes as she knew she needed to calm herself and she knew that no-one was going to hurt her but she quickly stopped and looked back to Val as she sat at the end of the bed.

"Have I just wet myself?!" Zoë panicked as she sat forwards and frowned at Val.

"I think that was your waters, don't worry Zoë." Val said softly. Zoë laid back down as another contraction came and she pulled on Horatio again. She could feel it heavily trickling out and couldn't help but feel a little disgusted but was amazed at how well the staff dealt with it and cleaned it up.

"Focus on my ring Zoë, you're doing really well." Horatio said softly and she looked down at his ring and squeezed his hand at the same time.

"Horatio this fucking hurts! Fuck! I am going to make you pay for this." She growled at him but he just smiled sweetly at her and then collected a cool damp cloth from the side and gently wiped her face down.

"Can you put that on my fanny please it might help with the fucking pain!" She begged him but he just placed it on the side again and picked up the gas and air tube for her. He managed to keep her so occupied that she hadn't even noticed what the rest of the staff were doing – talking while Val rooted around.

The contractions occurred every 2 minutes for the next 10 minutes and she focused on his ring. "They're nearly here sweetheart, you're doing really well, I'm so proud of you." Horatio said softly as he rubbed her stomach and played with her hair as she took a fistful of his shirt and gritted her teeth as she looked up at Horatio.

"Nearly here? They've been trying to get out of me for ages! Since you put them in there they've been wanting to come out!" she grumbled at him as she held his shirt tightly.

"That's because they can't wait to see their Mummy." He replied with a gentle smile which caused Zoë to look over to him with a furious expression, but it soon morphed into a smile and a light giggle.

"You're so cute." She mumbled as she looked up at him with a smile.

"I need to push now." Zoë said to Val as she held Horatio's hand tightly after pulling it from her stomach.

Zoë grabbed Horatio with both hands for the first push. Horatio kept her calm and kept her breathing calm and quietly spoke to her while he also tried to comfort her.

"Jamie, can you very quickly go and grab another nurse, we need eyes fully on Zoë's vitals." Val said quietly and Jamie nodded and quickly got another nurse before she resumed her job. Zoë hadn't even noticed the unfamiliar nurse in the room as she was so focussed on Horatio.

"Push Zoë." Val said and Zoë tried pushing again. The clock struck 4.30AM just as Zoë pushed again.

"Horatio get your fucking hands up there and pull them out, please!" Zoë begged him as she took two handfuls of his shirt and looked up into his eyes.

"You're doing so well, I'm so proud of you Zoë. Keep pushing, they're nearly with us. You're doing really well, just imagine them in your arms. Deep breathing, nice deep breaths." Horatio said softly and she nodded as she panted and looked up into his eyes and then pushed again when her body told her to.

"You're doing really well Zoë, I can feel the first babies head, keep going." Val said softly as the other nurse checked her vitals.

"Really? Because all I can feel is your bloody hand up my vagina!" she snapped at the midwife before Horatio gained her concentration again.

"Val, we need to give her a rest." The nurse said and Val nodded. They could all see her heart rate becoming too erratic as the nurse quickly took her blood pressure which was very high.

"Okay, Zoë try not to push okay?" Val said and Zoe nodded as she pressed her lips together while Val looked at her vitals herself.

"Don't let me die please! Don't let my babies die." She begged Val and Heather as she looked at them at the end of the bed.

"You're doing well Zoë, I'm just giving your heart a rest, you're not in immediate danger and neither are the girls." Val said softly as Horatio looked up at her too, he was clearly panicked also.

"I will warn you now that we may have to take you down for an emergency caesarean if your body is under too much stress, okay? I shouldn't think it will be a problem though." Heather, the obgyn said warmly and Zoë lowered her eyebrows and looked back up at Horatio who looked back to her and gave her a reassuring smile and nod.

"Don't push Zoë." Val said softly when Zoë began to push again.

"You try not pushing when a baby is forcing its way out." Zoë growled as she looked back to Val with frustrated eyes. "Fuck this is hurting!" Zoë cursed as she pulled Horatio closer and looked back up at him. "Tell me it's going to be alright." She begged Horatio and he began to whisper to her as he played with her hair. Val and Heather closely monitored Zoë for a couple of minutes and saw her heart rate begin a steady rate again.

"Zoë I want you to push again, please?" Val asked and Zoë nodded as she pushed and gripped Horatio's hand and shirt again.

"Please get these babies out Horatio." She begged him as she frowned at him.

"They're coming, don't worry. You're doing amazingly well Zoë, I love you so much." Horatio said softly as he ran his hand over her head.

"I do too." She said as she looked up at him and then pushed again.

"Horatio, there is just one more thing I want you to do, put your hand up there and pull them out… now." She growled just before she began to push again. Horatio winced when Zoë accidentally caught some of his chest hair in her grip as she tightened her grip on Horatio's shirt.

"I can see baby's head, keep pushing." Val said softly and Zoë half screamed, half groaned as she felt a ripping sensation or stinging sensation as she pushed. She let go of Horatio's shirt and began on the gas and air again. Zoë moved again and began to breathe heavily and held onto Horatio as he played with her hair. Val gave her a few seconds rest.

"One more push and her head will be out, come on Zoë." Val said and Zoë pushed with everything she had. She watched the staff in the room move closer with some tools as they began to suction the baby's mouth and throat out as there was mucus which caused Zoë to panic a little. "Keep going Zoë." Val said and Zoë pushed again with everything she had while she looked back up at Horatio. "Well done." Val said as Heather quickly lifted the baby in a blanket and very quickly placed her on Zoë's bare stomach after Jamie had pulled up Zoë's gown to expose her skin.

"Baby 2's head is there, push again Zoë." Val said and Zoë tried pushing as she watched Jamie dry the baby more with a blanket.

"Is she okay?" Horatio asked and Jamie nodded as she glanced up at him but quickly focussed back on the baby and began to check her airways and gave her a very quick check over.

"Keep pushing Zoë, I can see baby 2's head." Val encouraged loudly.

"Keep going Zoë, you're nearly there." Horatio encouraged her also as he looked down at the baby on Zoë's stomach while he placed a loving kiss on the top of Zoë's head. They could see Zoë weakening, but could also see that she was pushing with everything she had, her heart rate had doubled and began to beat unevenly again, but they all saw the rhythm correct itself after the pacemaker gave her a shock.

"One more push and the head will be out, keep going." Val said softly and Zoë pushed again and crushed Horatio's hand.

"Well done Zoë, keep going, keep it up. You're doing so well, you're so amazing." Horatio said as he played with her hair as the nurse continued to wipe the baby as the first baby began to let out a small scream. Zoë pushed one last time with everything she had and the second baby came out fully. She was also placed on Zoë's stomach as the nurses stood around her closely checking the babies out. Horatio could see her really beginning to panic as people were so close to her and so intimate and he saw that she'd clocked onto the unfamiliar nurse. "Stay calm Zoë, you're okay. I'm not leaving your side, they're fine. You and the girls aren't going to be hurt." Horatio assured her as he bent down and placed an affectionate kiss on her forehead. Zoë kept hold of Horatio's hand and then looked at the babies as both let out small quiet screams.

"Are they both okay?" Zoë asked as she looked up to Jamie and squeezed Horatio's hand more as one nurse stepped back and began to monitor Zoë's vitals again.

"They're both looking very healthy, and their hearts and lungs are sounding very healthy too. Congratulations." Jamie smiled at her and then watched the smile appear across Zoë's face as she instinctively cradled the babies once people had moved away and given her a bit of space.

"Horatio, would you like to cut the cords?" Val asked and Horatio looked to Zoë who nodded at him with an encouraging but exhausted smile.

"Please." Horatio said softly and then took the special pair of scissors from her and cut them both.

"Congratulations Zoë and Horatio. What are their names?" Val asked softly as she delivered the placentas as Jamie put a band around Horatio's wrist as well as Zoë's.

"Isobel-Mae Caine and Ella-Louise Caine." Zoë smiled at her and Val smiled with a nod as she looked back to the babies who had calmed down.

"Two beautiful names for two very beautiful baby girls. Well done Zoë." She praised softly as she looked at Zoë and saw the smile on Zoë's face. Zoë looked up at Horatio with a smile as a tear fell from the corner of one of her eyes. He ran a hand through her hair and smiled down at her.

"Our daughters are finally here with us." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio and he smiled more with a nod, she could see that he was absolutely overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that he couldn't even speak for a moment. He looked down at the two babies who had calmed down and fallen asleep on Zoë's stomach and felt extremely proud, of Zoë and the two babies, also proud of himself, which is something he very rarely felt. He also felt disbelief. '_Our girls are with us? I have two daughters with Zoë, this is more than a dream come true.'_ Horatio thought to himself. He wanted to reach out to touch one of the babies but felt very nervous and even afraid of doing so. They both felt extreme pride, joy and euphoria as Zoë also felt a sense of extreme relief that it was all over. Val cleaned Zoë up as Jamie moved closer.

"Can we get this bra off please, Zoë? We need to move Isobel and Ella up so we can feel your stomach and they need skin to skin contact." Summer asked and Zoë nodded. She quickly removed the bra and gently moved the girls up so they laid on Zoë's chest as she began to feel Zoë's stomach. Val removed the bloody sheets and towels and pulled up a pair of underwear with a special pad and then covered Zoë's bottom half with the blanket. Horatio moved forward and placed a light hand on the baby on the left side of Zoë's chest when he plucked up the courage. He felt a wave of happiness move through him again. He exhaled steadily as he looked down at the baby in disbelief and felt her warm skin under his hand. His heart pounded in his chest and drove the empowering feeling higher.

"Which one is Isobel and which is Ella?" Jamie asked with two small wrist bands in her hands.

"Isobel is on my left side, and Ella is on the right." Zoë said as she glanced up at Horatio who nodded agreeing with her.

"Isobel was born at 4.55AM and Ella at 4.57AM on the 5th of September, congratulations." Jamie said softly as she attached the bands to the babies wrists as well as two security bands to their ankles. Zoë looked back down to the babies as they slept on her chest and swallowed. She felt like she wanted to cry with happiness, but she felt too exhausted too.

"Horatio look at them, they're beautiful." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio and he nodded with a smile as he perched on the side of the bed.

"I'm going to have to give them a proper examination in about 10 minutes Zoë, but you can have 10 minutes with them for the time being, try and keep them in contact with your skin for now though. After that you'll be taken up to the ward." Val said softly and Zoë nodded as she looked up at her with a smile.

"I'm going to stay in the room for the time being just to keep an eye on you, Zoë. But I'm not going to get in your way. Just take no notice of me." The midwife said warmly and Zoë nodded at her before she looked back down to the babies as Horatio reached over again and placed a hand over Zoë's on one of the babies backs. The rest of the staff scurried out while Val walked into the en-suite to clean herself up.

Zoe then looked up at Horatio with a smile as tears formed in her eyes again.

"I can't believe they're here, I love you so much Horatio." She said as she looked up at him as tears began to fall finally.

"I love you so much too, Zoë. Now we can share our love with Isobel and Ella." Horatio said as he bent down and kissed her forehead tentatively. He pulled back slightly and began to play with her hair as he looked into her coffee coloured eyes. "They're so beautiful, just like you Zoë." Horatio said sincerely as he kissed her temple and then kissed her lips. "So beautiful, I'm so proud of you, I really am so proud of all 3 of you." Horatio said as he began to play with her hair again as Zoë began to cry a little more. He placed his forehead against hers as he knew she wanted a hug but had two babies on her chest so couldn't.

"Thank you, I'm so proud of you too, thank you so much for being with me 100% of the way thank you for everything, you were so incredible. You're finally a Daddy to two beautiful girls." Zoë said softly as Horatio nuzzled her cheek lightly. Horatio very delicately ran the tips of his fingers over each of the girls foreheads as he rested his head against hers and looked down at both girls sleeping peacefully on Zoë's chest.

"I can't get over how beautiful they are." Horatio said softly as he kissed her forehead again. Both Zoë and Horatio were completely love-struck straight away with both girls.

"Neither." Zoë said softly as she smiled at him. He quickly got some tissues and began to dry her eyes as her tears had stop falling now. They looked up just as Val walked over to them with a gentle smile as Jamie also entered the room.

"I'm sorry, I know that 10 minutes never feels enough. Do you still want them to be checked over in here with you?" Val said softly and Zoë nodded with a gentle smile.

"Okay, that's not a problem, we're going to do both at the same time, we're not going to hurt them. Horatio can stand by them at all times." Val said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile and then looked up at Horatio.

Val very gently lifted Isobel into her arms and wrapped the blanket around her and then placed her on the scales while Jamie lifted Ella and did the same. Horatio quickly walked over to them and watched everything. He knew that Zoë was much more comfortable with Val so kept a closer eye on Jamie with Ella as he knew that was what Zoë was really panicking about. Zoë quickly wiped herself down but also kept a very close eye on what was going on.

"Isobel is 6lb1oz, she's a good colour, there's nothing wrong with her at all, she's a very healthy baby." Val said softly as she began to thoroughly check her over as Horatio stood between both staff as they checked both babies out.

"Ella is 6lb3ozs, a good colour and a very healthy baby too." Jamie smiled at both Horatio and Zoë. They swaddled both babies and then walked back over to Zoë to hand them to her.

"Is it usual to still feel mild contractions?" Zoë asked Val and she nodded.

"That's your uterus getting smaller again." Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Horatio, do you want to hold Ella or Isobel, or both?" Zoë asked and Val looked over to Horatio, his eyes lightened up considerably but they could both see him beginning to worry and panic slightly. "Don't worry you'll do a great job, it comes naturally Horatio, believe me." Zoë assured him and he nodded with a smile. Zoë could see that he couldn't wait to hold them.

"Do you want to sit down Horatio? We'll only give you one baby for now as two can be a bit of a handful." Val asked and Horatio nodded. He quickly sat in the seat beside Zoë's bed as Zoë sat up and let Jamie put the head of the bed up. The nurse gently put Ella in Horatio's arms and stepped back as Zoë looked over to him.

"See, naturally." Zoë smiled softly as her heart melted while she watched Horatio look down to Ella with a beaming smile.

"Am I holding her right?" Horatio asked both Zoë and Val as he looked up at them.

"You're holding her perfectly." Val assured him and he secretly smiled as he sat back and relaxed as Val handed Zoë Isobel.

"I knew you'd both be a natural at it. We're going to move you up to the ward very soon Zoë, don't worry, you've got your own room and I'm up there with you. I'll be able to help you breastfeed, change and bath them, I'll also just be there for support and if you have any questions." Val said warmly and both Zoë and Horatio nodded. Val then left and 10 minutes later they were all transferred up to their own room on the ward. Horatio and Zoë settled in again and each held a baby.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"I can't believe they're finally with us… well, I can because it bloody hurt, but wow. They are so beautiful." Zoë said as she looked over to Horatio who nodded at her in agreement. Zoë could see that he was still absolutely overwhelmed by it all. They looked up when there was a knock on the door and watched Val enter with a smile.

"Would you like to breastfeed soon, Zoë?" She asked and Zoë nodded as she swallowed a little anxiously. "Okay, I can talk you through it and help you. Would you like to do one at a time, or would you like to try both at the same time?" The Midwife asked softly with a gentle smile.

"What would you suggest?" Zoë asked softly as she looked up at her.

"I'd personally suggest trying with both of them. Just because it's easier and then they'll want feeding at the same time when you take them home, if you can keep in that routine it'll be a lot easier for you." She said softly and Zoë nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll give it a go." Zoë said softly and Val nodded.

"Okay, I'll give you some time together and I'll be back in 15 minutes, if they wake up and begin to cry they're probably hungry in which case, just push the button and I'll come straight back." Val said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile before the midwife walked out. Zoë quickly reached over and pulled her phone from her bag and then looked over to Horatio.

"Horatio?" Zoë asked and he looked up at her just as she got a photo of him.

"That is a cute one." She grinned as she showed it to him looking slightly surprised but also very natural. She placed her phone back down on the bed and then just admired Horatio with Ella as well as Isobel as she slept in Zoë's arms.

"I told you you'd be a natural." Horatio said softly and she smiled as she looked back to him.

"So are you." She replied and he smiled shyly as he nodded and looked down to Ella. '_She was right, it's so much easier in real life. It does just come naturally.'_ Horatio thought to himself. "I can't believe we have them in our arms now and I can't say how relieved I am to finally have them out of me." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he got up and then sat on the edge of the bed as Zoë shuffled over to give him more room.

"I'm going to call Joe." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded and quickly kissed her, he then sat back and looked down at his daughters with a radiant smile.

"Hey Bunny, I hope I didn't wake you?" Zoë asked softly when he answered.

"No, I've been awake since 4, it's not a problem, how's everything going?" Joe asked softly but Zoë could also hear the burning curiosity in his voice too.

"We've got Ella and Isobel in our arms right this second, they're just so beautiful. Isobel was born at 4.55AM at 6lb1oz and Ella was born at 4.57AM at 6lb3ozs, they're both beautiful and so good." Zoë said softly.

"Well done darling, I'm so proud of you, and congratulations. How are you feeling? How was it?" Joe asked softly.

"Thank you, it was amazing, it hurt a lot, but it was probably one of the best experiences of our lives. I had some gas and air, I also had an epidural because without it there could have been bad complications, but don't worry, all is good! But they're both healthy, so we're both very happy too, we're both so proud! They're both doing really well and sleeping in our arms at the moment." Zoë smiled as she looked down at them with a natural smile.

"That's fantastic, Zoë. I'm so happy for you. May I come and see you and them sometime today?" Joe asked softly.

"Thank you, we're absolutely ecstatic, I've never felt such a feeling in my life. Of course you can, but can you come over in the afternoon, please? Visiting times start at 12 noon, but hopefully we'll be out before then anyway. I'll text you. We've been up all night and will need some rest this morning after I feed them. Oh and could you let me call Kaitlin, please?" Zoë said softly.

"Of course, if you give me a text or something when you're ready, I'll come over and of course I'll let you tell her." Joe said softly.

"Okay, great, thank you. See you later." Zoë said softly.

"See you later darling." Joe said softly and then hung up with her. She placed the phone back down on the side and looked over to Horatio as she cradled Isobel close again.

"We'll ring everyone else around 7?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded.

"Horatio, what if I can't feed them?" she questioned as she looked at him with worry developing in her eyes.

"Zoë don't worry about anything like that, Val is going to be here to help us." He assured warmly as he looked up at her with a gentle expression. She nodded at him and then couldn't help but smile as she looked down to Ella in his arms. He seemed so at ease, so natural, she knew he would be.

"I think someone is getting hungry." Zoë said as she looked down at Isobel as she began to wake and squirm. Zoë quickly pushed the button and about 30 seconds later Val came in just as Isobel began to quietly whinge. "I think she's getting hungry?" Zoë asked softly and Val nodded as Zoë began to try and comfort the small baby.

"Okay, do you want to get yourself into a comfortable position?" Val asked softly with a gentle smile.

"Could I go to the loo first, please?" Zoë asked as she looked up at her.

"Of course, I'll take her for the moment." She said softly and Zoë nodded and then gently handed Isobel to her. She then slowly got off the bed and held her stomach and went to the loo. She came back and then sat down in the middle of the bed as Horatio moved back to the seat. The midwife then explained to Zoë what they were going to do and Zoë nodded and then let Val put a pillow under her arms while she held Isobel.

"Horatio, if you want to stand up, please? It'll be good if you know what's going on too and if you could help out. I don't expect you to do anything this first time, but it's good to know for future reference." Val said softly and Horatio nodded and then stood slowly with Ella still in his arms.

"Isobel's got really dark eyes… I reckon she's going to have brown eyes." Zoë said as she looked up at Horatio from Isobel.

"They've both got very fair hair, I think." Horatio smiled and Zoë nodded with a smile as she looked back to Isobel.

"Could be ginger babies, we'll see after their properly clean." She smiled brightly up at him as she knew he'd prefer it if they had brown hair, even if a part of him did hope that they were red-heads.

"This can be quite stressful okay, especially as you have two babies, but if it makes it easier, we can do one at a time if both of them don't work at the same time." Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

After a few minutes of trying, Isobel managed to suckle. "Well done, do you want to try with Ella as well?" Val asked and Zoë nodded. Val then gently took Ella from Horatio as Horatio stepped forwards to watch Isobel feed as Val put Ella on the other side and helped Zoë out a little.

"She's stopping." Zoë said as she looked up at Val with a panicked expression.

"Okay, don't worry just gently move your breast, she'll latch on again and carry on, she's a hungry baby." Val assured her and Zoë nodded. Once Zoe was happy Val moved Ella closer to Zoë's breast. "Do you want to try with Ella or would you like me to move your breast? Or Horatio could do it if you prefer?" Val asked.

"Horatio, could you try it please?" Zoë asked and he nodded and then looked to Val for guidance and did as she said.

"Well done, both of you, that is fantastic for your first time." Val said softly and they both smiled.

"I'll be two seconds." Val said softly and Zoë nodded and watched her leave before she looked back down to both babies.

"This is quite weird." Zoë said as she looked to Horatio and he smiled. He then ran a fingertip over Isobel's head as she began to fall asleep again, but Zoë quickly woke her to carry on feeding.

"It's going to take some getting used to I think… It's nothing like you when you had your mouth all over them before they got big an painful… you made it feel so good… it just feels natural right now." She said as she looked up at him. He lightly chuckled and raised his eyebrows at her but he couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed too.

"Be careful what you say sweetheart, I don't think here's the place to be talking about that…" he replied to which she grinned at him before she looked back down to both babies.

"I think Ella is going to have your eyes as her eyes are much lighter than Isobel's." Zoë smiled softly.

"I think you're right, but their eyes can change a lot in the next few weeks and months." Horatio said softly as he slowly perched himself on the edge again and smiled warmly at her.

"So can their hair I guess, I did think that Isobel was going to be a red-head for some reason. They could both be red-heads, I'm not sure. Their hair needs a wash first and then we can probably tell." Zoë said softly and Horatio smiled. "How are you feeling at the moment?" she asked softly as she looked at him and admired his eyes as they watched both babies feed.

"I can't even describe it, it was probably the most amazing and most powerful feeling in my life, I do feel incredible right now and I don't think I've ever felt this good." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I agree, this has definitely been the most amazing feeling in my life." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he kissed her forehead as he bend down. "I've got a massive period now." Zoë said softly.

"I'm not surprised." Horatio said softly and Zoë smiled. Zoë looked up and saw Val walk back in with a smile.

"Erm, are these cramps supposed to get worse?" Zoë asked softly.

"Yes, it's because you're breastfeeding, it's releasing oxytocin into your blood which stimulates the uterus to contract more." Val explained softly and Zoë nodded. "You might find that it happens for a few days, up to a week, and also when they cry." She added and Zoë nodded again.

"Have you ever winded a baby before?" Val asked and they both shook their heads. "Okay, you were taught the theory in your prep classes though, weren't you?" She asked and both Horatio and Zoë nodded. "Okay, when they're done, I'm going to show you both what to do and how to hold them, then hopefully you can both have a go." Val said softly and Zoë nodded with Horatio also nodding. She could tell that both Zoë and Horatio were a little nervous, like any other new parent.

"Then we can bath them, change them and then they can rest in their beds, which will be placed right beside your bed." The Midwife said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Can we do that?" Zoë asked.

"Of course, but I'll be there to help and guide you." Val said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Is that Isobel done?" Zoë asked softly as she wouldn't have any more and Val nodded.

"That's Ella done too." Val said softly.

"Okay, I'm going to wind Isobel, you take Ella, Zoë and copy what I'm doing, Horatio, then you can give it a go? If you had had triplets, there would be enough babies to go around." Val smiled at them both.

"Woah, twins is quite enough for me." She laughed softly as she began to copy what Val was doing after Horatio had pulled her gown up to cover .

Both Horatio and Zoë observed how Val winded Isobel carefully, Zoë managed to copy perfectly while Horatio was a little apprehensive, but wanted to give it a go with the help of Val. Val then showed them a couple of different ways to wind them before she handed Isobel to Horatio.

"Am I holding her right?" Zoë asked nervously.

"Yes, you're doing well, just rub her back." Val said softly and Zoë did just that as the midwife gently placed Isobel in Horatio's lap and showed him how to hold her again.

"You might get sicked on, so I'm just going to put a muslin over you, okay?" She said softly and Horatio nodded, but he could feel panic rushing through his blood stream when Val moved away briefly. She quickly returned and placed the muslin over his thigh with a sweet smile.

"If you move your hand up slightly so you're holding her jaw, you'll be holding her perfectly." Val said softly. She then showed Horatio what to do. Zoë smiled when she watched Horatio do just as Val had directed.

"Perfect." Val smiled softly as she stepped back and allowed both new parents to wind the babies..

"They're is done now, you're both pros at that." Val smiled as she then swaddled the babies again and let Horatio hold Ella while Zoë held Isobel.

"Okay, if you both want to just bring them over to the baths on the side?" Val asked softly with a smile.

"Can I put on some clothes first?" Zoë asked and Val nodded and then took Isobel from Zoë as she got up and quickly pulled on a bra and a clean gown before she then took Isobel back from the Midwife and walked over to the baths with Horatio. Val demonstrated how to bath them after asking them to dip their fingers in the water to show them what a perfect temperature is. Horatio and Zoë eventually took over bathing them gently and then changed their nappies. Horatio backed off when it was time to put their vests on and their baby-grows as he didn't feel confident in it at all. '_They're so small, I don't want to hurt them, not with my massive hands.'_ Horatio thought to himself, it was actually afraid of it so preferred to watch. He then collected two thick blankets from their bags ready for when Zoë and Val had changed them.

"You are a natural Zoë, you too Horatio and a massive congratulations to you both, they're both so beautiful." Val praised and Zoë looked over to her with a smile.

"Thank you." Zoë said softly and then wrapped Ella in a large pink blanket in her white with large pink polka-dots baby-grow. Val swaddled Isobel and handed her to Horatio once she was fully dressed too.

"You can either hold them while they sleep, or you can put them down and get some rest yourselves?" Val asked softly.

"I need some rest but I don't think I can ever put them down again." Zoë said softly and Emma smiled.

"Almost every new mother says that. Don't worry, we'll be keeping a very close eye on the both of them and you Zoë, we'll need to attach you to an ECG again as your pulse is higher than we'd like." Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Sure, but may I have a shower first? Then you can do what you want." Zoë said softly and Val nodded. Zoë gently laid Ella down and Val laid Isobel down. Zoë gave Horatio quick kiss and then had a shower. One of the nurses walked into the bathroom and gave Zoë a load of special pads. Zoë changed into a clean pair of jogging bottoms and a strappy top after she tied her hair up in a messy bun. She walked out and gave Horatio a smile as he got up and walked over to her. They stopped by the baby incubators where both Isobel and Ella were sleeping peacefully.

"They're so beautiful, Horatio." Zoë said softly as she put an arm around his waist and held her stomach too.

"They sure are, they look a lot like you did as a baby actually." Horatio said softly as both of them slept in the same curled up position.

"How can you even remember what I look like as a baby?" Zoë asked softly as he wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her with a growing smile.

"Because I may have been sneaking peaks at your photos again, they are spitting images of you as a baby." Horatio said softly.

"You're so cute." Zoë smiled up at him as she leant against him but he then saw panic fleet across her face. "You didn't look at the letter in there though, did you? Promise me you didn't." Zoë said softly as she blinked rapidly up at him.

"I promise you I didn't, I barely touched it. I only moved it from the pictures, I was very careful." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded.

"That's okay then." Zoë said softly as she hugged him tightly and placed her chin on his chest and looked up and into his bright but tired eyes. "We have a family, we're happy. This is everything I ever wished for Horatio." She said softly as she looked up at him and he smiled as one of his hands began to rub her back delicately.

"It's everything I ever wished for to, everything and more." Horatio said softly and then kissed her. He began to deepen the kiss but he felt her hesitate so he pulled away slowly.

"Sorry, can you go and do your teeth? I don't mean to be rude at all. You know what I'm like…" She said softly and Horatio nodded.

"Sorry sweetheart." Horatio smiled softly and she smiled back and then looked down at the two babies sleeping peacefully. Horatio hugged her from behind after he'd done his teeth and she turned in his arms.

"Life is so perfect at the moment." Zoë said as she put her head against his chest and looked down at them as they continued to sleep.

"It sure is." Horatio smiled as she looked up at him and then passionately kissed him. She then reached in and ran a gentle finger over each cheek of each baby. She then exhaled and looked back up at Horatio and leant against him more. He swallowed when he felt her put a lot of weight on him and could feel that something wasn't right.

"I don't feel too good, Horatio." She said quietly as she blinked slowly and sluggishly lifted her head to look up at him.

"Okay sweetheart, get back onto the bed and we'll call Val in to check you over." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded and then slowly walked over to the bed with his help and got up while Horatio pressed the button for assistance. Val quickly walked in with a bright smile but quickly saw that something was wrong.

"Zoë's not feeling too well, her pulse is really quite fast too, she's pale." Horatio said calmly as he held her wrist and continued to monitor her pulse rate as he looked back to the Midwife.

"Okay, just lie back Zoë. You really need to get some rest, you too Horatio." She said warmly as she walked over to them and attached more pads to Zoë's chest before she attached Zoë to a 3 lead ECG. Zoë then looked over to both babies as Isobel began to fidget.

"Is she okay?" Zoë asked and Val quickly backed off and checked Isobel over and Zoë sat back up and watched intensely as Horatio did too.

"She's blue!" Zoë said as she ripped the ECG leads off and rushed over to her as Val quickly pressed the button again and then placed a tiny oxygen mask over Isobel's mouth and nose.

"Get Sophie! Please! My baby!" Zoë panicked as Horatio quickly rushed around and pulled Zoë away gently as she was getting in the way of Val which Val tried to remain calm about the situation. Horatio held Zoë close, her wrapped his arms around her while they both watched the midwife closely.

"Is she okay? What's going on, Val?" Horatio questioned firmly, desperately needing to know what is going on.

"Zoë, don't worry honey. Horatio, stay calm, she's okay. She just needs a little bit of oxygen." Val assured her as another nurse, Emma rushed in. "Emma, get Sophie Points here now please." Val ordered and Emma nodded. Zoë remained quiet and held Horatio's hands around her waist while she watched Val suction some fluid from Isobel's mouth before she began to cry.

"She's crying, you're hurting her!" Zoë growled as her instincts to defend against health professionals and defend her baby kicked in. Horatio managed to pull her back again though to stop her from doing damage to Val while she remained very calm and gently spoke to Isobel.

"I'm not hurting her Zoë. Crying is a very good thing right now, it's telling us that her airways are clear." Val assured her and Zoë calmed down and looked at her for a few minutes before looking back to Isobel. Horatio did the same, he could feel his heart beating wildly just before Sophie rushed in. Val updated her and allowed Sophie to take her place.

"Zoë calm down." Sophie said warmly as she listened to Isobel's lungs. She then checked Isobel's airways and gave her a full check over before she stepped back with a smile as Isobel calmed again and slowly fell asleep.

"Everything's okay, nothing is wrong, she's fine–" Sophie began but saw the forming frown on Zoë's face as well as Horatio's.

"How can nothing be wrong? She just turned blue! Something has to be wrong for her to turn blue for Christ's sake." Zoë said firmly as she glared at Sophie and gestured to the small baby.

"I can assure you Zoë that she's fine. She just needs a little bit of help to get the oxygen she needs, but not much at all. She's fine, she really is. You've just got to remember that their lungs are quite small, they are premature and may need some assistance. Sometimes things like this don't happen immediately after birth, but she's okay. From the looks of it, they're both doing exceptionally well." Sophie assured Zoë and Zoë swallowed as she looked back to Isobel who looked a lot better with the small mask on. "Val will stay in here keeping them under observation as well as you, you need to get some rest Zoë, you too Horatio." She said softly.

"I can't rest." Zoë said softly as Horatio finally released her and allowed her to step up to the side of Isobel and began to lightly rub her fingers over her belly and chest.

"Zoë, you're very pale and looking quite fatigued, you need to get some rest. You can't care for them properly if you're absolutely exhausted. I suggest you get all the rest you can here where we can do everything for Isobel and Ella because you'll both have to do it all when you get home." Sophie said softly and Zoë swallowed and then nodded. She knew she felt absolutely awful and could feel weakness claiming her limbs as they grew heavier.

"But they are both okay, aren't they? You're not going to take her away, are you?" Zoë asked and Sophie gave her a reassuring smile.

"They're both fine, we're not going to take her now because she's not dependent on high support, she's fine. But if she gets worse, we'll have to take her down for special care, she's doing really well though. Val isn't going to leave this room. I promise you that they are both fine. We might have to keep her in overnight, and Zoë too by the looks of it." Sophie said softly and Zoë nodded and then walked over to the bed with Horatio when she felt like she was about to collapse herself.

"Can I get you some painkillers Zoë?" Val asked softly as Emma made an exit.

"Could I just have some ibuprofen please?" She asked and Val nodded.

"I'll be right back." She said sweetly as Sophie looked over Isobel again as she could see both Horatio's and Zoë's worry. Val than came back in and handed Zoë some water and the tablets.

"Can I just attach the ECG leads to you?" Val asked.

"I can do it myself to be perfectly honest." Zoë said softly as she picked up the leads and attached them in the correct places.

"Wow, you really can." Sophie smiled as Zoë attached the leads to herself. She looked up to Sophie as she walked away from Isobel with a contented expression.

"You get to know where they go when you have as many as I have and it's only a 3 lead ECG." Zoë said softly and Sophie nodded.

"I'll see you later, they're okay, Val will take great care of you all." Sophie said before she walked out after Val sat by the babies and made herself busy. Zoë quickly fell asleep after she called Horatio up and onto the bed. He watched her sleep as well as both of the babies. He smiled warmly while he watched all 3 of them sleep. He could see that Zoë was absolutely shattered and felt tired himself, but couldn't pull his eyes from the 3 beauties that lay in front of him. '_My 3 girls. It feels so surreal that I have 2 daughters. Me… and two beautiful daughters with a beautiful wife. I never thought I'd see the day but I'm so happy that I am able to see the day! It's truly amazing.' _Horatio thought to himself as he began to play with Zoë's hair.

"We got some foot prints earlier for you both." Val said as she pulled out the two pieces of card and handed them to Horatio with a smile.

"Thank you, could I bother you with some photos? Could you just get a few photo's on my phone of them, please?" Horatio asked as he handed her his phone and she nodded. "Just get a few please." Horatio said softly and Val nodded with a smile and snapped a few photos of both babies.

"They are beautiful babies." She said softly as she handed Horatio's phone back and he briefly looked at the pictures.

"Thank you, they definitely get their looks from their mother." Horatio smiled softly as he glanced down to Zoë as she moaned lightly and pulled him closer to her.

"They do look like her actually. I think Isobel will have her eyes too, Ella will probably have blue eyes like yours as hers are really light at the moment. I'm not sure what way their hair will go though, they're both very fair so they might be red-heads." She smiled and Horatio smiled back with a nod. '_I think they'll be brunette like Zoë, she did have fair hair herself as a baby and toddler.' _He thought to himself as he thought back to her pictures. "You did really well earlier by the way, I know you were nervous, but you did really well." She said softly.

"Thank you." Horatio said softly as he played with Zoë's hair lightly. "I'm just afraid of hurting them by accident. I mean, compared to them, my hands are massive." Horatio said softly.

"You won't hurt them at all, babies are very resilient, they can take a lot more than what you think, I know they look really small and fragile and they are in a way, but they're very tough too, I noticed you didn't want to dress them?" She asked softly.

"I was afraid of hurting Isobel; my fingers are basically as big as her arms and legs." Horatio said softly as he looked up at her.

"You've got nothing to worry about. They are very flexible, they may fidget quite a bit, but you won't hurt them. You've just got to be confident." She assured him and he nodded.

"I'll be fine once I see Zoë do it again." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"She's really very good with them, does she work with children and babies?" Val asked warmly.

"No, we're both police officers, neither of us have really ever had any contact with babies, we've had some children on a few cases, but very rarely babies." Horatio said softly.

"What about family? You can't both just be that good at handling them for never having held or had contact with newborn babies." She smiled.

"No, we don't have family anymore, and no-one we know has had any babies recently." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"Well in that case you two are astoundingly brilliant." Val said softly and Horatio smiled shyly as he looked back to Zoe. "Anyway, you should get some rest too, they'll want feeding around 8AM I suspect." She said softly and Horatio nodded and then put his head down on the pillow next to Zoë's when Val walked away and checked the babies over again. She then pulled out a magazine and kept a close eye on them but gave Horatio and Zoë their privacy and took no notice of them.

Zoë woke the first second she heard one of them let out a small cry. She sat up and got up which woke Horatio.

"Can I feed them again? Are they hungry?" Zoë asked and Val nodded with a smile.

"Do you want to pick Ella up and I'll hand you Isobel when you're ready? I'm just going to put a nasal cannula in instead of the mask okay?" Val asked and Zoë nodded as she looked down at the both of them squirming in the beds. Both had their hands near their mouths and both began to cry a little louder. Zoë gently picked Ella up and then fed her, and managed to get Isobel on too without the help of Val or Horatio.

"You can change them now as well, as it's a good idea to get into the habit of changing them after or before they're fed." Val said softly and Zoë nodded. Both Zoë and Horatio changed them and then put them back down to sleep. Zoë got back onto the bed with Horatio as Horatio pulled his phone out and then rang Eric.

"Eric, it's Horatio." Horatio said softly as Zoë laid with him and watched the babies sleep again. He also watched them and Zoë.

"Hi H, how's everything going? Any sign of the girls?" Eric asked softly.

"Yes, Isobel was born at 4.55AM at 6lb1ozs and Ella was born at 4.57AM at 6lb3ozs, they're both well, although Isobel is currently on oxygen, but they're both healthy and well. Zoë is also doing really well, we're both a little tired, but we're relieved that it all went so well. If you could spread the word it would be great, but we'll call Alexx." Horatio said softly with a smile.

"Congratulations H and send my congratulations to Zoë too, I'm happy to hear that. Of course, I'll let everyone know, will you be out of the hospital soon?" Eric asked softly.

"We're not too sure yet, Isobel may need to stay overnight, in which case, we will be too." Horatio said softly.

"Okay, but she is okay, isn't she?" Eric asked with an element of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, she's fine, she's just having a little trouble breathing, but it's nothing serious." Horatio said softly.

"Okay, is it okay to come over and you today, or would you rather your space at the moment?" Eric asked softly.

"You're more than welcome to come over, but not just yet, if you come over in the afternoon that'll be great, thank you. Don't bring the whole lab though please, it'll stress both the twins and Zoë out." Horatio said softly.

"Of course H, I was only planning on coming over." Eric said softly.

"Okay, that's fine, just give us a call when you're on your way." Horatio said softly.

"Will do, congratulations again and have a great day." Eric said softly.

"You too, see you later." Horatio said softly and then hung up and rang Alexx and had pretty much the same conversation with her as he did with Eric. Zoë then rang Kaitlin.

"Hey babe, how are you doing? Joe said you went into labour yesterday." Kaitlin asked brightly.

"Hey gorgeous, I'm great thank you. I am just ringing to say that I had Isobel-Mae at 4.55AM and she weighed 6lbs1ozs and Ella-Louise was born at 4.57AM at 6lbs3ozs, we're all good. Isobel is on oxygen at the moment, but she's okay. It's just because they're a little premature that's all and there is nothing to worry about." Zoë beamed as she looked over to the babies and held Horatio's hand.

"Congratulations babe! I'm so happy for you! I'll be down in a few weeks so you can tell me all about it in graphic detail then." Kaitlin said excitedly.

"I'm not sure about graphic detail, but I'll certainly talk you through most things." Zoë said softly with a smile as she beamed up at Horatio.

"That would be great, could you send me a picture of them and you please?" Kaitlin asked softly.

"Of course, I'll send it to you a little later if that is okay?" Zoë asked.

"Of course babe. I'm so happy for you, I want a baby now!" Kaitlin smiled softly and Zoë chuckled. "Anyway gorgeous, I'll let you go as I can hear that you're tired." Kaitlin said softly.

"Thank you, I'll speak to you again later when I'm a little less tired." She said softly.

"Okay babe, see you soon I love you all." She said softly.

"Love you too, bye." Zoë said as she hung up. Zoë burst into tears as soon as she put the phone down on the bed. She covered her eyes immediately and sobbed more.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Horatio asked softly as she turned to him and sobbed quietly into his chest as he played with her hair.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Are you in pain?" Horatio asked as Val looked up and Zoë shook her head.

"Thank you Mum, thank you so much." Zoë said softly into Horatio's chest as she continued to hug him.

"Zoë, what's wrong beautiful?" Horatio asked softly and she pulled back and looked into Horatio's eyes with tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"Today is my mother's birthday too… she was born at 4.55 in the morning. They're her present, she's still watching me." Zoë cried and Horatio pulled her closer again as he exhaled warmly and saw why she was crying. "Thank you Mum and happy birthday, I love you so much." Zoë cried into Horatio's chest. '_I didn't know today was her mother's birthday, she did so well to keep it together for this long, perhaps it was just exhaustion and now she's had a rest it's all caught up with her. They must be a gift from her mother if they were born at the same time too.'_ Horatio thought to himself as he soothed her by playing with her hair.

"They're beautiful, just like you and your mother." Horatio said softly and Zoë just continued to cry.

"I didn't want to tell you that her birthday was today in case I got my hopes up, I wanted them born today, I wanted them to share her birthday." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he lightly rubbed her back too.

"I understand beautiful, that's okay." Horatio said softly, he gently played with her hair as they laid back together. He could hear her crying getting quieter and knew she was falling asleep again as she was exhausted.

"Is she okay? Is there anything I can do?" Val asked softly once Zoë was sleeping peacefully in Horatio's arms again.

"She's fine thank you." Horatio said softly and Val nodded and got back to monitoring both babies as well as Zoë's vitals.

Zoë woke instantly as Ella began to squeal again, Zoë fed them once again, but she found it a lot more difficult that time around, both babies didn't seem to want to latch on so easily so Zoë got quite frustrated, but Horatio managed to keep her calm and help out. Once Horatio and Zoë had got enough rest, Nathan visited during visiting hours, he brought them something to eat from the canteen after Alexx told him that Zoë had had the babies. He'd also got them two balloons, two teddies and a card.

"Thank you so much for that Nathan." Zoë said warmly as she got up off the bed and gave him a warm hug. He smiled at her and then looked over towards the babies and walked over to them after Zoë did.

"They're beautiful Zoë, congratulations to the both of you." Nathan said as he looked up at Horatio and Zoë with a delicate smile.

"Would you like to hold Ella?" Zoë asked him softly and he nodded with a smile. Nathan sat down in the seat as Horatio was sat on the bed and Zoë delicately handed Ella to him. Nathan smiled down at Ella while she slept in his arms. Both Horatio and Zoë could see that he was exceptionally happy. He looked up at the both of them.

"How are you both? How are you feeling?" He asked them.

"A little tired, but we do feel great, don't we?" Zoë asked as she looked over to Horatio who nodded.

"It is an incredible feeling. I didn't think I'd feel this good, it's a powerful feeling." Horatio admitted and Nathan nodded with a smile.

"Are you both comfortable? No problems with the staff?" Nathan asked warmly and Zoë smiled at him.

"We're very comfortable. Well, physically wise I'm not entirely comfortable but that's understandable. Nathan, I cannot believe that you did that for me. Thank you so much, you made our whole experience so much better, you are such a star." Zoë said sincerely.

"I thought it would help. No problem, it was my pleasure." Nathan said warmly as he looked back down to Ella before looking over to Isobel. "How's Isobel doing?" He asked warmly.

"Isobel is on oxygen as you can see, we might have to stay overnight with her, but I'm hoping she'll be well enough for us to leave a little later. But she's good, she's not really unwell or anything. Sophie just said that she may need a bit of help and that's what she is getting." Zoë said softly and Nathan nodded. "Sophie is saying that it's nothing to worry about though." Zoë said softly and Nathan nodded as he gently rocked Ella when she began to wake again. He quickly sent her straight back to sleep as he smiled at both Zoë and Horatio. "Sophie is an amazing doctor, thank you for introducing us. What would we do without you?" Zoë said warmly and Nathan nodded again with a smile as Zoë sat on the edge of the bed and picked up both teddies that Nathan had brought in. "These teddies are gorgeous, Nathan. Thank you." Zoë said softly as she lightly ran her hands over them to feel their soft texture.

"Is there anything I can get either of you?" Nathan asked softly.

"I'm good thank you, Nathan." Horatio said softly and he nodded then looked to Zoë.

"Same, thank you sweetie." Zoë smiled.

"Okay, I'm going to come in a few times when I'm free if that's okay? Zoë, can I quickly check you over as you are a little pale. I know I shouldn't, but I'm just a little worried as your pulse is a little high by the looks of the monitor. I want to make sure you're being looked after as well as the babies." Nathan said softly and she nodded. Nathan stood and gave Ella to Horatio. He then very quickly checked Zoë over while Val looked at him a little disapprovingly.

"They are doing a lovely job Nathan. You don't need to worry about me." Zoë said warmly and Nathan smiled softly and nodded.

"Everything looks good, just make sure you rest a lot, okay? I know you don't usually listen to anyone else, but you kind of listen to me and I'm saying you need to rest." Nathan asked and Zoë nodded with a light chuckle.

"I am, don't worry." Zoë smiled and Nathan nodded with a smile.

"Okay, I need to go, I'll see you all later. Congratulations again." Nathan said softly as his pager bleeped at him and they both nodded and watched him leave.

"Sorry Val, he knows you're doing a great job, he's just a little protective I think." Zoë said warmly and Val nodded.

"We all know what Doctor Taylor is like, he's probably one of the most compassionate and friendly doctors around, he's a very popular doctor actually, especially with the ladies in the hospital." She assured Zoë and Zoë nodded knowing it was very true.

"Horatio, do you want a shower? I'm good here." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile.

"I think a shower and a change of clothes would be good." Horatio agreed and Zoë nodded. Horatio handed her Ella and then got up and collected his things and kissed Zoë warmly before he went to the en-suite. Zoë smiled as she looked down at Ella sleeping. Horatio came out in clean clothes having dried his hair and saw Zoë standing with Ella and watching Isobel with a smile.

"I can't believe we have our babies." Zoë smiled as she looked up at Horatio as he walked over and nodded. He gently ran his fingertips over Ella's soft short hair and smiled. He then ran his finger over the back of her hand and then felt her take a loose grip of his finger in her sleep. "I can't believe how small they are." Zoë smiled as she looked at Ella who's tiny fingers had wrapped nearly all the way around Horatio's finger.

"I know." Horatio said softly with a dreamy smile as he looked down at Ella still.

"Are you ready for Joe to come over?" Zoë asked softly and Horatio nodded just as Sophie walked back in.

"Just come to check up on Isobel." She smiled softly and Zoë nodded and then watched her check Isobel over.

"I'm taking the oxygen down, she's doing really well." Sophie said softly as she turned it down a little.

"Are you sure that's okay?" Zoë said as she looked into Sophie's eyes, it was clear that she was very worried.

"It's a bit of trial and error with babies, but I shouldn't think that you'd need to stay overnight, she'll be off the oxygen in an hour I suspect. She is doing better than I expected." Sophie said softly and Zoë nodded. "I advise that you leave her be unless she's feeding though as it can get a little awkward with the wires everywhere." Sophie said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile. Sophie then left as Horatio texted Joe to say that he could come over and gave him directions to their room.

"Can I get you two anything?" Val asked brightly.

"A cup of tea would be divine, thank you. One sugar." Zoë said softly and she nodded and then looked to Horatio.

"A coffee please, no sugar." Horatio said softly and she nodded.

"I'll be right back." She said softly before she disappeared out.

"If you want to tell Eric and Alexx that they can come over after Joe then go ahead." Zoë smiled and Horatio nodded as he placed his hand back over Ella's head with a smile.

"I'll ring them after they've been fed in about an hour?" Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Finally my boobs have a purpose, and they're big." Zoë smiled and Horatio chuckled lightly with a boyish smile developing as he wrapped his other arm around Zoë's lower waist.

"They've always got a purpose." Horatio murmured quietly.

"Alright, not in front of the babies." Zoë grinned at him and he chuckled a little more.

"They don't understand yet." Horatio said softly as he began to lightly rub her waist.

"Doesn't matter, we've got to get into the habit of leaving naughtiness until we're completely alone for when they're older. Same goes for my swearing." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile.

"Does the no-swearing count for when we're in bed too?" Horatio grinned and she chuckled again and pursed her lips at him.

"Shh, don't tell our girls that, you'll scar them." She grinned and Horatio chuckled.

"Your bad language in bed can sometimes be quite a turn on." Horatio grinned and she giggled quietly again.

"You're making me horny already, stop it, please. How you're making me horny after giving birth this morning I do not know…" Zoë smiled up at him and he nodded with a smile as they walked back over to the bed and sat back down. Horatio put his arm around her as she rested her head on his shoulder. Val came back in with the drinks and handed them to Horatio who put them on the side.

"You have a visitor, Joseph Green?" Val asked and Zoë nodded with a wide smile.

"Excellent, I'll show him in." Val smiled sweetly and Zoë nodded. Both Horatio and Zoë looked back to Ella in Zoë's arms before they looked up and saw Joe walk in with Val.

"Hey" he beamed and a wide smile appeared across Zoë's face.

"Hey" Zoë replied excitedly.

"I've got a few things for you." He smiled as he looked down to the bags in his hands and things.

"I can see that, Joe you shouldn't have, we've already had so much off you!" Zoë said softly.

"I wanted to." He said softly as he handed Horatio the card and two bags as he put the balloons down by the two Nathan had got.

"You even had the balloons personalised with their names?" Zoë asked as she looked up at both balloons and Joe nodded with a smile.

"Just letting you know it's all from Kaitlin too." He said softly and Zoë nodded. "Kaitlin said that there's a card in the post." Joe said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile again and gently rocked Ella in her arms. Horatio put the two bags down as Joe walked over to the other side of the bed and looked down at Ella after placing a kiss on Zoë's forehead.

"She's beautiful, where's baby 2?" He asked softly as he placed his hand on Zoë's shoulder.

"Isobel is over there, you can't pick her up, sorry, but you can touch her." Zoë said softly as she looked over to Isobel who was sleeping peacefully.

"So this is Ella?" Joe asked and Zoë nodded with a smile. Joe then walked over to Isobel and smiled down at her. "They are both so beautiful. Well done and congratulations both of you." Joe said softly with a smile as he looked back up at the both of them.

"Of course you're going to say that." Zoë smiled softly.

"No really, they're definitely the most beautiful babies I've ever seen. I've seen some ugly babies around, but these two are absolutely gorgeous." He said softly and Zoë giggled in disbelief.

"You can't say that, Joe." Zoë said and he turned and shrugged with a smile.

"But these two are beautiful. Did you say Isobel was born at 4.55AM?" Joe asked and Zoë nodded as she quickly wiped a forming tear from her eye as she looked down.

"I told you she was with you." Joe said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"They're her present… she wanted to see them for her birthday." Zoë said softly and Joe nodded as Horatio rubbed her back and kept her calm.

"Would you like to hold Ella?" Zoë asked softly as she changed the emotional subject with a smile forming on her face.

"I would love to, but I've never held a baby, well certainly one so small anyway." Joe said softly as he looked at her with a small worried expression.

"That doesn't matter, take a seat." Zoë said softly as she got up and made sure she was careful of the ECG wires.

"I don't want to hurt her, she's so small." Joe said softly as he walked around the bed and sat in the seat and looked up at Zoë.

"You won't hurt her, you'll be fine, I promise you." Zoë said softly and Joe nodded. She then gently put her in his arms as he looked down at her. He immediately felt her warmth transfer into him and felt warm all over. '_She's my Goddaughter, she's Zoë's daughter. Wow. She does look like Zoë actually, a lot like Zoë in fact. I never thought I'd get to hold Zoë's daughter because I didn't think she'd ever have any!'_ Joe thought to himself.

"See, you're holding her perfectly." Zoë said as she sat on the edge of the bed beside Horatio and reached over for her cup of tea. She then picked up both the bags and opened the card from Joe.

"What did you do with the card from Nathan?" Zoë asked softly as she looked up at Horatio.

"I put it on the side over there." Horatio said as he gently took the card from her and placed it beside Nathan's on the side.

"Thank you Joe, it's a lovely card." Zoë said softly as she bent down and kissed his cheek before she began to look through the bags. "More clothes? Wow, thank you." Zoë said as she pulled them out and then looked at them. "They're personalised too? Oh my gosh, these are amazing! Even the little hats have their names on!" Zoë beamed and Joe nodded with a smile as he looked back up at her and Horatio.

"Well, I'm going to admit, I'm finding it difficult to tell them apart at the moment." Joe said softly and Zoë nodded.

"You can tell by their eyes, Isobel has dark eyes and will probably have brown eyes, Ella has light blue eyes, I think she'll have light blue eyes like Horatio." Zoë smiled and Joe nodded with a smile before he looked back down to Ella in his arms.

"I've already washed all the clothes, don't worry, I used the stuff you like and what you use." Joe said softly.

"Really?" She asked and Joe nodded as he looked back up at them with a smile. Zoë could see that he was amazed with Ella, she knew he would be anyway.

"That's why there's no tags, I thought perhaps you might need more clothes for them if they're going to be staying overnight." He said softly.

"Thank you so much Joe, this will be there next outfit for sure. We might not have to stay overnight, Isobel is doing really well and should be off the oxygen soon." Zoë said softly as she got off the bed with her tea and walked over to Isobel and gently stroked her forehead and cheek.

"How are you both feeling?" Joe asked softly.

"We're great, I feel absolutely incredible, I feel so proud of the both of them and Horatio, it's the best feeling in the world." Zoë said softly and Joe smiled and then looked to Horatio.

"I'm pretty much feeling the same, I'm incredibly proud of Zoë and the both of them, it was probably the most powerful moment of my life when Zoë gave birth, the labour and when I first held them. I just can't believe that their finally with us." Horatio said softly and Joe nodded as he studied Horatio's wide grin.

"Have you fed them yet?" Joe asked softly and Zoë nodded.

"A few times, we've also bathed them and changed them." Zoë smiled and Joe nodded with a smile.

"I have to tell you, I feel pretty incredible just holding her, so I can't imagine how you both are feeling." Joe smiled up at them.

"I feel full of beans, despite the lack of sleep." Zoë said softly and he nodded.

"If you guys need any help, like if you need some shopping, then just ask. I can do a weekly shop for you guys for the fresh things, I know you've stocked up on frozen things. Or if you need some general help around the house, I can put washing on now with your list of instructions, Zoë." Joe smiled and she chuckled as she gently stroked Isobel while she slept.

"Thank you Joe, we'll think about it and I'm sure we will take you up on that offer as I know it's going to be exhausting caring for both of them if they're anything like me… I know I'm demanding and everything." Zoë said softly and Joe chuckled softly.

"Oh God, did I do something?" Joe asked when Ella began to wake and squirm more.

"No, she's just waking up." Horatio said softly as he reached down and checked her temperature. Ella looked up at Joe and studied him quietly as she began to fidget more.

"She really does have light blue eyes." Joe smiled as she looked up at Zoë as she walked back around and sipped her tea and Zoë nodded with a wide smile as she looked down to Ella.

"I really wanted at least one of them to have Horatio's eyes." She smiled as she placed her hand on Horatio's thigh and then handed him her cup of tea as she ran her finger over Ella's cheek.

"Hey sweetheart, are you hungry?" Zoë said softly and she turned her head towards Zoë.

"She already knows who you are?" Joe asked a little surprised as he looked up at Zoe.

"Not quite, but they recognise my voice, I think. It's because I touched her cheek, she's hungry." Zoë said softly and Joe nodded with a smile. "Can I take her back please?" Zoë asked and Joe nodded. Zoë then lifted Ella into her arms and smiled down at her before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Isobel will be awake soon, they're hungry. I'm really sorry, but could we have some privacy?" Zoë asked softly as Ella began to cry.

"Of course, I need to get back to work anyway; I should be in a meeting right now." Joe smiled warmly.

"Joseph, get back to work!" Zoë said firmly with a smile.

"Okay, okay." He smiled as she sat back on the bed.

"They're beautiful Zoë, congratulations, both of you. Let me know when you're out and everything, keep me updated." Joe said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"See you later sweetie, thank you for coming." Zoë said softly and Joe nodded and quickly kissed her forehead and left after shaking Horatio's hand and giving him a smile too.

"I can't believe he's got them personalised outfits, I suppose it is good for those who don't see them too often though, I can see how other's will get them mixed up." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded.

"I quite like the personalised stuff actually; it seems to give it an extra special something." He said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I agree." Zoë said softly as she began to pull her top down and then unclipped the bra just as Val picked up Isobel as she squealed.

"I think they sound a little bit like cats." Zoë said softly and Horatio chuckled involuntarily as he looked at her with an amused expression. "What they do really… it's just a bit of a different 'meow', they're not properly crying, but more squealing." Zoë smiled and Horatio nodded with a smile.

"I can see where you're coming from." Horatio agreed and she nodded as she tried to get them both to feed again, but they had difficulty again.

"Why were they fine before, but now it's getting more difficult?" Zoë asked Val with a mild frown.

"Sometimes it's just the way, the first 5 days are usually the hardest." She said softly and Zoë nodded as she looked back down at the babies.

"You'll also feel your breasts get quite sore and heavy in about 2 or 3 days, that'll be because they're filling with more milk, it should go in a day, but if you're really uncomfortable, you can try expressing and feeding them. Feeding them about 8 to 12 times every 24 hours is a good time at the moment. As they get a little older, you'll find they probably want feeding every 3 hours instead of two and so on." Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I read about that, thank you." Zoë smiled sweetly and Val nodded.

"Do you want to change their nappies after this?" Val said softly and Zoë nodded.

"When will their umbilical cords fall off?" Zoë asked softly with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Usually in about a week. I advise that you perhaps change them yourselves until the cord comes off because it is very delicate and those who haven't changed babies before may accidently pull it off." She said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile before looking back over to Horatio.

"Do you want to change Ella or Isobel?" Zoë asked Horatio softly.

"Can I change Ella? Only because Isobel has all the wires everywhere and my hands are a lot larger than yours." Horatio said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Of course." Zoë smiled with a gentle smile. "Do you want to wind Ella too?" Zoë asked and Horatio nodded and then gently took her when they'd finished feeding. They made sure they had bibs and muslins but both babies threw up.

"Okay, that's nothing to worry about, if you just want to wipe their mouths and then bring them over here were we can clean them up." Val said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"First time getting sicked on, yay." Zoë smiled and Horatio smiled with a light chuckle.

"I'm glad you're happy about that." Horatio smiled as he made sure that he was clean, which he was. They then cleaned both babies with baby wipes and then redressed them in their new personalised baby-grows with hats. Both were put down to rest as Zoë had something else to snack on. After they'd rested, Horatio gave Eric a call and Alexx, but asked if they didn't both come in at the same time. Eric was first to walk in.

"Hey!" Zoë grinned as she got up and hugged him.

"Hey, how are you both doing?" Eric asked softly as he lightly hugged Zoë back.

"We're good thank you, Eric." Horatio said softly and Eric nodded at him and then gave Zoë a card, as well as a balloon and two small pink teddies. Eric then walked over to where both Ella and Isobel were sleeping and Horatio walked over to him as Zoë sorted the card and balloons.

"The personalised hats and things definitely help." Eric smiled up at Horatio after observing both babies who looked identical.

"Yeah, Joe brought them over earlier." Zoë smiled and Eric nodded.

"They're beautiful." Eric said softly as Zoë walked over to them and placed her arm around Horatio's lower back.

"Aren't they just, Ella has Horatio's eyes." She smiled as she leant against Horatio slightly which caused him to put his arm around her shoulders.

"How do you know? Don't their eyes change?" Eric asked softly.

"Because Ella's eyes are really light blue, Isobel's are really dark." Zoë said softly and Eric nodded.

"That's great, you both wanted the other's eyes in them." Eric said softly and they nodded with smiles.

"Can I touch them?" Eric asked and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Of course, be careful of the wires around Isobel, but yes, you can touch them. You can hold Ella if you want?" Zoë asked softly as she looked up at Eric.

"I don't want to wake her, but thank you." Eric said softly.

"You won't wake her, she'll stay sleeping, I guarantee you." Zoë smiled and Eric then smiled and nodded.

"Okay, thank you." Eric said with a smile and looked over to Ella.

"Do you want to take a seat? I'll bring her over to you." Zoë said softly and Eric nodded. Horatio smiled as Eric held her after Zoë placed her in his arms.

"I've got a get a picture of this." Zoë smiled as she got a few pictures. She then looked to Horatio with a smile. "Have you got photos of them on your phone?" She asked and Horatio nodded and then pulled it out and showed her.

"Aww, these are gorgeous, when did you get them?" Zoë asked softly.

"When you were sleeping." Horatio smiled and she smiled up at him as she continued to look through the pictures.

"When did you get this one?" Zoë asked as she raised her eyebrows and showed him, it was a picture of her with the babies lying on her chest, minutes old.

"When you had let go of my hand and took hold of them." Horatio said warmly.

"They're both looking up at the camera too, this is a wonderful picture of them, I look like an exhausted rat, but they're beautiful." Zoë smiled and Horatio chuckled. "Eric, this is them a few minutes old." Zoë smiled as she showed him the picture.

"You don't look like an exhausted rat, you look beautiful." Horatio smiled as he gently took the phone from her again and smiled at her warmly.

"Can you send that to Kaitlin please, as well as the one where they're both sleeping?" She asked and Horatio nodded.

"Congratulations, both of you. I am so happy for you. They really are beautiful, I can already see a lot of you in them, Zoë." Eric said softly and she smiled sweetly.

"Thank you." She said softly and Eric smiled back.

"Anyway, Alexx is out there dying to come in, so I think I'll let her." Eric said softly and they nodded. Zoë had a sip of water as Horatio lifted Ella into his arms.

"Congratulations, H. If you need anything at all, just give me a call." Eric said sincerely as he smiled down at Ella.

"Thank you Eric." Horatio said softly before Zoë hugged Eric.

"Congratulations, Zoë." Eric said softly as she kissed his cheek lightly.

"Thank you sweetie, we'll call you later about whether we're home or not, it depends on how well Isobel does." Zoë said softly and Eric nodded and then promptly left, only for Alexx to walk in immediately with a wide beaming smile plastered across her face.

"Hey baby girl, how are you doing?" Alexx asked softly as she hugged Zoë and gave her a large card as well as two balloons.

"Really well thank you, we're both great." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded and then turned to Horatio with her smile widening.

"This is Ella?" Alexx asked softly as she walked over to Horatio and they both nodded.

"The named hat kinda' gives it away." Zoë smiled and Alexx nodded with a light chuckle as she looked up at Zoë who was by Isobel.

"Is that Isobel?" Alexx asked.

"Yeah." Zoë said as she bit her lip with a wide smile and Alexx walked over to Zoë and Isobel with Horatio following whilst holding Ella.

"They're both beautiful, they look just like you Zoë." Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled as she looked back to Alexx.

"Thank you." Zoë smiled widely.

"How's Isobel doing?" Alexx asked as she gently stroked her head and made sure she was careful with the tubes and wires.

"She's doing well, hopefully she'll be off the oxygen soon and hopefully we can go home this evening." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"Is Nathan's sister still in charge of her care?" Alexx asked and Zoë nodded.

"She's a really good doctor." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded with a smile again.

"I've met her before… she's a lovely person as well." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded with a smile.

"Do you want to hold Ella?" Zoë asked and Alexx nodded. "Ella is getting all the cuddles today, Isobel can have them next time." Zoë smiled softly as Horatio handed the small baby over to Alexx.

"She's so small, I don't remember my boys ever being this small." Alexx said softly as she looked up at Zoë and Horatio.

"Don't forget they are premature, she's 6lbs3ozs." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded as she looked down to Ella while she stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"Much smaller than my boys then, Brian was 8.7lbs and my youngest was 7.6lbs. Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled as she raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, big babies then." Zoë smiled softly and Alexx nodded with a smile.

"How was the birth?" Alexx asked curiously as she gently rocked Ella.

"It was good actually, it bloody hurt, but they didn't need any help to come out or anything, they didn't tear me or anything." Zoë smiled and Alexx nodded.

"That's great, well done. Did you have an epidural? I know you didn't want one." Alexx said softly.

"I did, it was a sensible decision too, I did have some gas and air too." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded as she raised her eyebrows slightly shocked.

"Well done, I had an epidural with both of mine." Alexx smiled and Zoë smiled back.

"I'm glad I had it because they said there could be complications, but Horatio was amazing throughout it all." Zoë said softly as she took hold of Horatio's hand and then opened the card. Alexx looked up at Horatio with a smile and silently praised him. '_I knew he'd do really well anyway.'_ Alexx thought to herself.

"It's from everyone at the lab." Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled with a nod.

"Thank you, we'll text everyone later." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded before she looked back down to Ella.

"She's got really blue eyes." Alexx said softly as she looked down at Ella as her eyes half-opened.

"Yeah, she's going to have Horatio's eyes we think, Isobel's eyes are quite dark so we think she's going to have brown eyes." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded as she studied Ella's eyes more.

"I think they might both be red-heads, their hair is really fair." Alexx smiled at the both of them.

"Perhaps, we're not sure though. When I was a baby I had really fair hair too, I had dirty blonde hair as a toddler and then it got really dark, so they could go either way." Zoë explained and Alexx nodded.

"What way would you like them to go?" Alexx asked with a smile.

"I'm not sure really, I wouldn't mind either way. I think they'd look absolutely adorable with ginger hair though." Zoë grinned before she looked back to Horatio.

"I don't mind." He said and Alexx nodded with a smile before she looked back down to both babies.

"I can't get over how small they are." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded.

"I know." She smiled as she reached up to Ella and ran her fingers over Ella's forehead.

"Would you do it again?" Alexx asked softly as she looked up at Zoë.

"Oh definitely, but not just yet." Zoë smiled and Alexx chuckled with a nod as she looked up at Horatio with a smile.

"I bet you both are really proud and happy." Alexx said softly and they nodded at her, she could see that they were certain about it. "Have you both changed and bathed them?" Alexx asked and they nodded just as Nathan walked back in with a smile.

"Yeah, it just seems to come to me, I thought it would be so difficult." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"I knew you'd be a natural. What about you Horatio?" Alexx asked as she turned and looked up to Horatio as Nathan flashed them all a smile.

"It's definitely easier than I thought, but I'm still afraid of hurting them as they're just so small." Horatio said softly and Alexx nodded.

"My husband was the same, but you won't hurt them, I knew you'd both do really well. How's it going with the breastfeeding?" Alexx asked softly.

"It's going well, at first it was easier, but now it's getting a little stressful every now and then, I'm feeding them both at the same time you see. When one stops feeding, the other will to and then they'll squirm. It's difficult, but apparently it gets easier." Zoë said softly as Nathan sat on the edge of the bed too and gave them all a nod as Zoë greeted him.

"I got stressed with my two, and they were a few years apart! I take my hat off to you Zoë, you are doing a fantastic job, I'm really impressed with you." Alexx said softly and Zoë smiled shyly.

"It's not all me, Horatio has been a massive help." She said as she took his hand again and Alexx smiled.

"When are they due for another feed?" Alexx asked softly.

"In about an hour." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"How often are you feeding them?" Alexx asked.

"About every 2 hours." Zoë said softly and Alexx nodded.

"They're a healthy weight for being premature, they're both looking really good too." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded. Zoë then stifled a yawn and smiled tiredly.

"Anyway, I should be off and you both need some rest." Alexx said softly and Zoë nodded.

"Nathan, I'm getting palpitations." Zoë said softly as she looked over to Nathan and raised one hand to her chest as she looked up at the monitor and saw that her heart rate had increased more. He quickly pulled his stethoscope on and listened to her chest as Alexx gave Ella back to Horatio. Nathan gently pulled Zoë back to the bed and sat her on it.

"Okay, you just need to rest, Zoë. Lay back and get some sleep." Nathan said softly and Zoë nodded and laid back as Nathan looked up at the monitor as did Alexx.

"Can you get Sophie to check on Isobel too please?" Zoë asked softly and Nathan nodded.

"I'll ring her." Nathan said softly and Zoë nodded as she sat back with the help of Nathan as Horatio got up and put Ella down. Alexx quickly left after saying goodbye as she could see that Zoë really needed some rest, she'd become very pale and fatigued again and knew that she was becoming quite stressed.

"Can I get you anything?" Nathan asked softly as Horatio began to play with Zoë's hair.

"Can I have another pillow please?" Zoë asked and Nathan nodded and left, he quickly returned with a pillow as Horatio sat in the seat and rubbed his forehead, his exhaustion was also catching up with him.

"Nathan, can I ask you something, please?" she asked and Nathan nodded with a gentle smile.

"Of course Zoë." Nathan said warmly as he tilted his head and looked at her sweetly. He could see that something was bothering her.

"I'm just worried about blacking out when holding them or something." Zoë said quietly and Horatio looked to Zoë before looking at Nathan, also wanting an answer.

"Don't worry about that at all, Zoë. When you black out, your muscles freeze into position, only your head drops forwards, it's really nothing to worry about. You won't drop them." Nathan assured her and she nodded.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he nodded.

"I'm positive, Zoë. Really, don't worry about it." Nathan said warmly and Zoë nodded as she exhaled steadily.

"Okay, thank you, that was all I wanted to ask." She said warmly and Nathan nodded with a gentle smile.

"I'll leave you too it, get as much rest as you can sweet. Don't worry about Isobel, they're looking after her well." Nathan said warmly and Zoë nodded.

"Thank you Nathan." She smiled tiredly as she sat up and pulled him closer to hug him.

"See you both later, ring if you need anything. Let me know when you're home." Nathan said warmly and they nodded as Horatio shook Nathan's hand. He then left and Zoë very quickly fell asleep while she held Horatio's hand. Sophie walked in and checked Isobel over as Horatio watched closely.

"I'll be back in about an hour; I think I'll be able to take her off it then." She said softly and Horatio nodded with a smile.

"Thank you Sophie." Horatio said softly and she nodded with a smile.

A couple of hours passed and Isobel was finally off the oxygen and doing really well, but was still being monitored just in case she needed to go back on it. Horatio and Zoë decided that they wanted to stay the night so Isobel could have an eye kept on her at all times, Horatio also wanted Zoë in to make sure she was actually okay as she seemed very pale and weak with a faster heart rate that had returned to normal by the morning. The next morning, Horatio got both car seats out from the car and brought them into the room. Zoë and Horatio both put Isobel and Ella into their car seats and then thanked all of the staff. Horatio had got a load of flowers and chocolates from the shop as a thank you as they had been a wonderful team and had done their best to make Zoë comfortable.

"Come back and see us any time." Val said with a bright smiles and Zoë nodded.

"Thank you." Zoë smiled as she lifted Ella as Horatio lifted Isobel.

"I'll also ring you soon to let you know when I'll be over to check up on you and both babies." Val said warmly and Zoë nodded with a smile before she gently hugged her and thanked her again.

They left after Sophie checked Isobel over once more and said that they were to visit again in 3 days to see her. They promptly left and got both Isobel and Ella into the car.

"We're taking them home!" Zoë squealed quietly as she hugged Horatio. She passionately kissed him and then hugged him once more and then climbed into the car with Horatio.

"Off home, at last." She smiled and Horatio nodded as he placed his hand over her thigh as they pulled off.

_'Finally off home with my family, I have a family._' Horatio thought to himself with a smile and then glanced back in the mirror at both babies sleeping peacefully.

The End

* * *

**AN: Thank you to those who have read and reviewed! Next story: "Second Best" - it's not a major story, nor is it too long - it is highlighting family life for the Caine's (as this has been asked) but it also includes more of Calleigh and Eric and what is happening with their lives (as this has also been asked) - don't fret though, the action will be starting up again in the stories after this one. I've got quite a few 'hot' stories planned and the main character is our favorite Lieutenant. **

**Have a wonderful weekend, all. **


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